Transformers Prime: The thin line (Jack and Arcee Romance)
by Galaxy fiction
Summary: Several weeks after their Shore Leave, and Blackouts retribution attempt, Arcee and Jack grow closer, though still unable to become Sparkmates for some unknown factor. But soon that would be the least of their worries, as Sector Seven get involved, taking Arcee from him. With Blackout's team reformed and the Decepti-Sapiens, human Decepticon worshipers entangled, things look bleak.
1. Chapter 1: Nightmares

Author note: Hello all, here is the sequel to Shore Leave. hope you all enjoy what is about to unfold!

* * *

Arcee sprinted down a never ending passage, dark and foggy. Her spark was in her throat and her stomach pulled somersaults. Her legs felt weak and flimsy under her torso as she sprinted to a target that never got closer, only further away. There was no ceiling above just an ascending constant pair of walls disappearing into foggy darkness.

Her eyes were full of fear and her trembling lips only quoted that fear. She kept sprinting, even though she was growing tired, physically and mentally of running this foggy hallway. She couldn't transform she just kept running. Suddenly her eyes widened and she slammed to a halt, her feet sliding against the floor as she stopped.

Before her manifested two figures, the fog rippled and twisted around them as they formed. Their cloud sculpted heads looked up, changing color and becoming solidified. When she saw their appearances, her jaw dropped and eyes widened.

Tailgate and Cliffjumper were knelt before her. She looked at both of them, shock and awe on her face.

"You're both okay! Thank the Allspark!" A smile formed on her face.

They both changed their expressions.

"You failed us" They simultaneously said with a snarl.

Her smile disintegrated, and her eyes gazed up from them. Two more ghostly figures formed, each stood behind Tailgate and Cliffjumper. The figure behind Tailgate sprouted spider legs and Airachnid's head as the figured fully formed into the Decepticon monster. She flicked her fingers and hissed at Arcee.

Arcee staggered back in shock as she saw Starscream appear behind Cliffjumper. A smirk stretched across his evil face. He swung his sharp fingers out and Airachnid raised her spider leg.

"You failed us" Cliffjumper and Tailgate said simultaneously again. She tried grabbing them and pulling them to her, but her hands went through them, and a swirl of foggy cloud hazed from them. She looked at her palms as fog slowly fell from them. She couldn't help them.

She was forced to watch as Airachnid and Starscream performed their killing moves on her past partners once more. Cliffjumper's eyes widened as he felt Starscream's sharp fingers rip through his chest like soft buttery flesh. Tailgate spluttered as Airachnid's quick swipe of her leg sliced his throat, Energon blood speckling Arcee, causing her to stagger and scream. She shouted as loud as she could, with rage and horror, but no sound emitted. She was silent whether she liked it or not. Starscream dropped Cliffjumper and he fell, disappearing into fog as he slumped. Tailgate repeated this demise as he diminished to fog.

Airachnid and Starscream looked at Arcee and slowly walked towards her, terrifyingly. She backed away and bumped against something huge. She looked over her shoulder at Blackout. He smirked evilly and laughed demonically, his chest heaving with every inhale and exhale.

She stepped away and Starscream and Airachnid each grabbed one of Arcee's arms. She was caught tight as Airachnid gripped her right arm, and Starscream's vice tight grip grasped her left. Arcee couldn't escape.

She looked down in unbelievable horror as Jack manifested before her. She screamed and roared at him. Her lips read "Run" But no sound vocalized them. Her eyes spoke volumes of emotion that no one could see. Blackout fell to one knee with a groan, resting his left wrist across the bent knee. He looked at Jack, and then at her. Jack seemed unaware that he was even behind him.

Arcee tried to break free but couldn't. Blackout extended his sharp wrist blade and smirked at her.

"I will hurt you in every way before I kill you, the only way I know how. Attack your spark, and all it holds dear!" Blackout roared, ramming the huge blade through Jack, lifting him off the ground and sliding his body onto the blade. Jack fell silent after a fear filled face died. Arcee screamed in horror and pain, but nothing came out.

"Jack!" She screamed, sound emitting as she awoke in the garage. A cold, translucent Energon, sweat coated her metal skin and she breathed heavily. She looked around the dark garage and hugged her knees.

"It was...it was a dream. Thank the Allspark" She stammered as she tried to catch her breath. She rested her forehead on her wrists and looked up at the garage door, sat aloft her mats that Jack had placed for her to sleep on, since she found it very uncomfortable powering down as a Motorcycle.

She felt a watery splat on the metal of her wrist. She looked at it, seeing another drop on her wrist again. She pressed her feminine finger against her cheek, wiping a watery Energon tear away. She sighs as she closes her optics, squeezing tears out and down her cheek. She had no idea she was crying till she wiped it away.

"Crying, really Arcee? Grow up" She insults herself, hugging her knees tighter.

She heard the faint sound of a door open and muffled footsteps thumping. Suddenly the door to the garage edged open and Jack walked in, wearing his boxers alone. He pressed his palm against the light switch and a violent blast of light blinded him, his eyes squinted.

"Hey Cee, what's wrong?" He asked, obviously hearing her scream as she awoke.

She seemed to ignore the fact he was barely dressed, his hair ruffled and his eyes weary, hardly awake.

"Nothing Jack, go back to sleep" she ordered, slumping her head on her wrists. Jack and Arcee were the only ones home, since June wasn't due back till the early hours of the morning.

He crouched down in front of her, hand on her shin.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. I heard you scream, and you never scream, now what's wrong?" He asked, very concerned. She sighed and looked up at him. He saw the tears welling bright blue under her shiny optics.

"Oh Cee, why the tears?" He asked in a soft voice, stroking her polymer cheek and sweeping the tears from the soft metal skin.

"Nothing Jack, please go" She pleaded. He looked into her eyes, showing his undying support, but all she saw was Blackout's blade slamming through his ribcage. She shuddered her head and looked away from him, closing her eyes.

"Cee...it's me, you can tell me"

"I...I had a nightmare, there, happy?" She snarled, feeling vulnerable. Jack sighed as he smirked gently at her.

"There is nothing to be ashamed of Cee. We all have nightmares"

"Not me! Jack, I survived the war on Cybertron. I saw Tailgate killed, and watched a dark Energon infected Cliffjumper die! Not one nightmare happened that affected me like this one. It...It was because you were in it Jack" She explained. He sat listening as he gently caressed her cheek.

"And I knew, as soon as I got involved with you, that sooner or later I'd have to see you die-"

"No, don't. We aren't having the lifespan talk, not now okay?" Jack said firmly. She scoffed and a small raise in the corner of her mouth initiated a smile. She glanced back at him.

"So you had a Nightmare? It wasn't real. I'm here, see? I'm fine" He smiled at her. She raised her hand and gently squeezed his.

"Thank you Jack" She leaned down, kissing him on the lips passionately. He returned with equal pressure. Both, eyes closed as they kissed, forgetting the nightmares and the world around them.

She gently retracted as she opened her beautiful optics and stared back at him with a smile.

"There's my Cee" He smirked. He pats her leg and stood up with a groan. She watched as he got up and began to walk to the door, smiling at her.

"I'll see you in the morning okay Cee?" He said, just as he finger went to the flip the light switch she stammered out some nervous words. A nervous Arcee?

"Jack...wou...would you mind...staying with...me?" She managed, wringing her hands together and avoiding eye contact, snarling at herself internally at the fact she had just asked someone to stay with her so she wouldn't be alone.

_I'm pathetic._

Jack sighed gently and nodded to her. "Of course. I'd love to" He said as he hit the light switch and darkness resumed, the only light coming from faint orange street light beams gazing through the thin slits in the garage door. She looked up and smiled to him, a calming blue hue emitting from her body and eyes. He walked over, grabbing a large blanket from the corner of the garage and whipping it out, throwing faint dust off of it. He walked back over to the awaiting Autobot he loved and lay down on the mat beside her. She was larger, but not by much, just a lot taller. She rested her head back and all her issues and nightmares melted away. She turned on her side, looking at Jack, the only time they could properly look into eyes without either looking down slightly or him looking up. He looked deep into the bright blue optics with pink rings illuminating them. He thrust air from his nostrils with a smirk, like a stifled chuckle.

He raised a hand from under the blanket, more a tarp sheet that could cover them both. She had her hand open and he met it with his pressing them together, still no glow, no sign that being Sparkmates was possible but they didn't care, not at that moment. They just stared at one another, feeling something warming the blood in his heart and the Energon in her spark. Was this love?

She closed her eyes and met his lips with hers, a passionate goodnight kiss. They parted and she kept her eyes closed as she began to power down. He stroked her cheek and lay watching her drift off for over half an hour.

Jack sighed and smiled as he had succeeded in calming her down, and giving her a well needed power down. But he also frolicked in the fact that he'd succeeded in something else. He'd gotten his dream girl.


	2. Chapter 2: Waking up together

Jack yawned as piercing sunlight edged through the slits in the door, hitting his closed lids. He moaned and awoke with a yawn and arm stretch helping stir the body.

He felt a warm weight on his chest. He raised the tarp a tad with his hand and saw a blue slender polymer arm rested on him, wrapped around his torso. She was still there with him, fast asleep. She was on her side, snuggled against his smaller body. She had a leg curled up and stretched out across his. His arm was pinned behind her head as she rested against him. Jack thought about how soft it felt. He expected a crushing sharp pain from her head on his arm, but it wasn't. They weren't robots; they were living beings, cast in polymer and metal, soft reforming Cybertronian metal skin.

He could have stayed on that mat forever, with his guardian turned girlfriend. She was very possessive of him though, as she always was with him, now even more so they were romantically involved. Her leg coiled around his legs and arm around his bare chest, her head resting on his bicep and wrist. He looked at her with a silent laugh. Her mouth was open only slightly, and her eyes still shut. She let out a gently sigh as she tensed slightly and pressed against him more. He felt the tire in her leg brush against his leg slightly as she brought it up into a fetal position. It felt weird and made him feel weird, but that faded when he saw her sleeping face.

Slowly she stirred, her optics shining blue as her lids slowly lifted. She never resembled a machine at all. It was all silver skin on her face, not lots of little metal pieces forming into a face, a full smooth perfect face. Human-like in every way.

"Mmm, morning" She whispered with a moan as she stretched gently. A smile etched on her face as she looked up at his eyes slightly.

"Morning to you too" He said back. "We should probably get up though" He sighed. She moaned and grumbled.

"Really? But my receptors are so comfortable"

"Yes Cee, you've got patrol duty today haven't you?" He asked, but knew the answer. She groaned as she sat up unwillingly.

"Fine, damn you Darby" she hissed but with a smirk. He sat up too, kicking the tarp back. She crouched out into the middle of the garage.

"By the way" She started, transforming mid sentence into her sleek blue motorcycle, a bounce on the front tire as she slammed down, the kick stand flicking out. She looked at him with the headlights. "What did you tell your mom when she saw me the other day?" She referenced three days prior when June came home to see Arcee's motorcycle form in the garage, followed by some mumbling as she walked into the house and a firm shout of Jack's name.

"Oh yeah, I told her you came back"

"You what! Jack, direct orders from Optimus to not endanger anymore people than you Raf or Miko. We can protect you three not half of Jasper!"

"Relax Cee, I was kidding" He smirked. She sighed with relief and her wing mirrors drooped, like shoulders.

"Thank the Allspark. I mean, it's not like I don't miss her, it's just..."

"Yeah I know. She can be a pain and gets into trouble...a lot. At least this way she doesn't get hurt"

"And less people know about us. Consider it a reset to when we first arrived, except you and I get on better" she said with what sounded like a smirk.

"A lot better" He chuckled as he pointed to the mat, throwing the scrunched up tarp in the corner. She revved towards him.

"Hey, that isn't funny" She snarled.

"I know" He said mimicking her voice like a child. She arched her motorcycle spine and transformed into her main form again, as if fidgeting.

"Seriously, you know that you and I...we...Primus it isn't fair" her face went from a slight frown to sad as she looked down.

"Hey Cee, don't worry about it. Like I said, if you truly want it, then we'll figure something out" he said to her, making her peer up from the floor at him, thumb on her chin as he tilted her head up.

"Yeah, I guess"

"You seemed pretty willing to wait a few weeks ago. When we got some _Shore leave_" He said making quotation marks with his fingers. She chuckled, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah, Chernobyl wasn't exactly what I had in mind for a relaxing leave" She scoffed. He nodded.

"Yeah, radiation sickness sucked"

"Blackout and his insane partners. Sorry I dragged you into my past"

"Well I was worried about meeting parents, Ex-boyfriends, not ancient war enemies" he chuckled. She nodded and rolled her optics.

"Any Ex-boyfriends I should expect to stomp on me?" He said with a stifled laugh behind his voice.

"Just Optimus" she said with a straight face. Jack gulped and his ears rung from that name. She giggled and shook her head.

"You aren't the only one who can make jokes Kiddo" She laughed. He sighed with relief.

"Thank god" he mumbled. Her face then lowered and she became bashful and shy.

"You're my first" she shrugged, playing with her hands and avoiding eye contact. He dropped his shoulders.

"Seriously? Arcee I don't think you realize just how gorgeous you are" He complimented her. She stroked her upper arm and looked up at him.

"flatterer" She smirked.

"I try" he nodded with a smirk "Now, I'll go get dressed, and then we can get you to the base"

"I guess" she groaned. It was funny how she used to always rev to wake him up early so she could get back to base quickly. Now? Now she would rather be here, her home.

"I've got to work, and you've got patrols" he said to her as he headed to the door.

"I know, I know" she said to him with a shoulder shrug and head shake.

He stood in the doorway and looked at her for a few seconds. She turned around and transformed. A motorcycle was in the garage moments later.

He turned, heading inside to get dressed for the day ahead.

...

At the same time as Arcee and Jack grew closer, deeper in love, though neither admitted it to one another, not yet; a Massive Pave low roared across the sunrise of Florida. The humidity attacked his cockpit, fogging the windscreen, but that barely fazed the titan.

His rotors clapped as he neared the outskirts of a radio antenna farm. The Pave low sprouted arms and the rotors folded away onto a forming back as the titanic Decepticon grabbed onto the stem of the radio mast. He slammed his giant feet against it and his spiky head gazed out at two inbound wheeled vehicles. He smirked as they neared.

A long desert camouflaged metal fork smashed through the thin fencing and the buffalo mine clearance vehicle trekked inside the farm. Six wheels hissed and fell still.

Sirens whooped as the stern face of a police Mustang pulled up beside the gigantic buffalo. _To punish and enslave_ tattooed on its chassis.

The fork slapped down on the ground and it swung round latching up onto the buffalo's shifting exterior, forming a spinal column. Suspension sprigs coiled away into the cricks of the knees and the six huge wheels mesmerizingly spun as they shifted up into the torso and into the feet. Four wheels helped make up the beefy torso and the other two became the heels of sharp pointed feet.

At the same time the mustang slammed two fists down from its side and the grill hissed and growled as it split apart and moved up onto the torso of this transforming vehicle.

The Buffalo's head emerged, a round solid ball with red gleaming eyes and beige desert skin. Two huge fists extended onto long hulking arms. The fork split in two and landed on each shoulder blade.

The Mustang stood up with long arms, white and black color scheme, mainly black. Red eyes hummed and the snarling face laughed as the door wings folded into the spine and perked up slightly.

Blackout watched as the two formed below him, Bonecrusher and Barricade. Two loud roars of fighter jets neared. The bulky hull of a Black and purple Cybertronian jet hovered and folded in on itself, forming a torso with legs and arms sprouting out. The wings rotated and sat upon the back of the bulky being as the hovering body lowered itself from the sky to the ground.

Skywarp smirked as he cracked his neck from side to side. Bonecrusher stood with a grim grin etched along his face, just like Barricade.

Blackout watched as Scorponok left his spine and crawled down the antenna to meet up with the awaiting hunters. He rolled upwards and stood in a humanoid stature, becoming his main form. Scorponok popped his long fingers and smirked as he too cracked his neck from left to right. Skywarp nodded and chuckled.

A loud thump of sonic boom echoed and the inbound hull of a beige and purple fighter emerged. The huge jet morphed into a humanoid form and slammed down into the ground, fists embedded into the concrete as he slid forward. A titanic bang echoed as he landed and a quake trembled. The insane, monstrous Blitzwing stood up, a sinister smile on his evil face. He demonically chuckled as he saw the terrifying team finally reassembled.

"My Hunter brothers!" Blackout announced as he leaped off the tower, landing with a tectonic thud before them all, dwarfing them. "We have a foe that needs vanquishing. Thanks to Starscream, we have located the continent, the city, the town in which Optimus and his Autobots hide" he clenched his fist. Skywarp shuddered at the name of Starscream, his brother.

"We now have the chance to kill the ultimate game! Optimus Prime, and his band of heroes" He chuckled. They all joined him, laughing demonically.

"We all have pent up revenge that must be dealt to these specific bots. Bonecrusher, you want retribution on Ironhide for what he did to your fellow Constructicons during the war!" He pointed at the beige beast. Bonecrusher snarled and slammed his fists together.

"Skywarp! Jazz for how he dismantled the skull of Thundercracker with a blaster round!" Skywarp growled as he pressed his knuckles into his other palm until they popped and cracked.

"Barricade! Bumblebee and Bulkhead for how they left Prowl to die, leaving you without a brother" Barricade roared upwards as he clenched his fists, remembering the very motive that made him go on to don the Decepticon logo.

"And Blitzwing. You are here for the same reason I am. To help kill that wretched Arcee and her human partner" He snarled as he patted the insane Decepticons shoulder.

"And Optimus. He will die by my blade" Blitzwing smirked viciously, lifting his sword, carved from the wing of Silverbolt.

"We all have motivation, and a destination: The town of Jasper Nevada. We will tear that place apart until we find them, and destroy them!" Blackout roared as he clenched his fist. All of the hunters roared and cheered as Blackout gave his speech.

"We will find their home and burn it to the ground!" Blackout bellowed. Scorponok cheered as he spat oil from his humanoid mouth, the scorpion head forming his shoulders in his present mode.

"We have donned many names, The fear bringers, The Harbingers! Now let us bring these icons to their knees and remind them why we are so feared!" He roared. The entire team cheered and grinned. Blitzwing stood silently smirking evilly.

"Go forth my brothers, and get revenge!"


	3. Chapter 3: Jack's first mission

Arcee and Jack arrived at the Autobot base, driving through the parting in the huge hanger doors. He held onto her handlebars as they entered the building, a smile etching along his face, even all these years later at the site of huge Autobots walking around. Huge beings he'd called family, friends...loved ones.

Arcee stopped and he swung his leg over as he stepped off. With the kick stand in place he let go, and Arcee stood up. She looked down at him and then crouched, so she was eye level.

"I had a really great time last night Jack. Thank you" She whispered with a smile. He nodded back.

"You are most welcome Cee" He winked to her. She stood up as the sound of an approaching Autobot neared. It was funnily Ratchet, who barely leaves his equipment.

"Jack, how are you now, given a couple of weeks ago you underwent radiation sickness?" He asked, jotting information into a large data pad. Jack shrugged.

"Fine. Why?"

"No reason, just-" a loud crash echoed and Ironhide was standing up from a broken piece of equipment beneath him.

"Ironhide, I needed that!" Ratchet roared with a clenched fist and wide eyes. Ironhide shrugged as he got up, both his cannons on his wrists whirring.

"I was carrying those crates, you left it out and I tripped. I needed those!" he shouted back as he pointed to the pile of broken crates. Ratchet sighed as he ran his hand down his face in defeat.

"It's like a nightmare I cannot wake from" He moaned. Jack sighed and looked up at the doctor.

"Ratchet I'm fine, thanks for the concern. I came by to see how my armors doing. Have you gotten it repaired?" Jack asked, remembering how damaged the suit got during Chernobyl. Arcee put her hand on her hip as she listened to the conversation.

"It did get pretty beaten up" Arcee stated to them with a squint of her eyes. Ratchet nodded.

"You forget that this is the master at work young man. I finished repairing it and upgrading it"

Jack smiled. "Upgraded!"

Arcee sighed and rubbed the bridge of her brow. "Upgraded, really?"

"Yes. Now the suit can home in on your beacon. It will jettison into the right parts and seek out your body. Once you activate it of course" Ratchet explained as he walked over to the control panel. Jack followed.

"So I activate it and it'll find me anywhere?"

"Yes. It will then launch and fly to wherever you are"

Arcee nodded and hummed to herself.

"Hmm, that's a great idea actually Ratchet. Just in case we get caught off guard again. Luckily you had it with you last time. That may not always be the case" Arcee explained. Jack nodded in agreement.

"So how does it know to track me?" Jack crossed his arms. Ratchet turned to face him, mad doctor eyes in his head glowing. He lifted a needle with a small beacon inside it, around the size of a pea.

"With this" He smiled. Arcee drew the line.

"No! Uh uh, you are not doing anymore crazy doctor stuff to Jack" she ordered.

"I survived the last one, plus the fire wasn't that big" Jack remembered with a shudder. He lifted his sleeve and squinted as Ratchet leaned down, dabbing the needle under his skin and injecting the device. Jack winced and hissed air through his teeth, but it was fitted.

"There. See? Not so bad. And no stray missile this time" Ratchet chuckled as he stood up. Jack rubbed his arm and looked up at Arcee. She wasn't amused, as always. She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Boys and their toys"

Ratchet was humming to himself as he input data to the control panel. He clicked down on a green switch and the floor before him opened in a small circle. Opening like the aperture of a lens, the doors slid apart and a platform rose up with Jack's new suit in place. It stood tall and proud, back straight and arms stretched out. It was no longer the silver and grey of the prototype, now a shiny metallic ultramarine blue with gold details in places.

"Whoa! Holy scrap Ratchet this thing is looking awesome!" He cried out. Arcee had to look back. She saw Jack walking up the steps of the new platform to the suit. She shook her head with a scoff and walked over to talk to Bumblebee and Jazz. They were stood against the wall, chatting.

"Hey you two, what's up?" She asked, hands on hips.

"Not much Cee. Chatting about Jack actually. I mean he managed to face Starscream and win to free us" Bumblebee explained. Arcee's eyes popped wide with a twitch beneath one.

"He what!" She shouted. Bumblebee looked to Jazz who was shaking his head and running his hand down his face.

"Oops, should I not have said?" Bumblebee winced as his head sunk into his shoulders.

"Jack took on Starscream? How?" she asked in a stern voice.

"Look Cee, Jack was heroic and brave. I wrapped my legs round Screams throat and Jack shot the power conduit. He freed us. Y'all need to calm down Cee" Jazz explained to her. He crossed his arms and stared at her. She sighed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm overprotective of him. Truth is guys..." She looked over her shoulder at Jack and Ratchet. "Besides you guys, he's all I've got"

Jazz slammed his hand against her back with a thud, her eyes widened and her body jerking forward.

"Ah Cee. Don't worry. We're one big family" He put his fist on her head and rubbed it back and forth, like an older brother giving a noogie. She freed herself and shoved him playfully. He chuckled.

"See? One big family" Jazz grinned. Suddenly his smile dropped and he looked past Cee at the sound of stomping.

Optimus was walking in. His tall impressive stature making all the Autobots look upon him.

"Autobots fall in" He said powerfully. The huge bots walked over, leaving Jack with the suit.

"Jack, that includes you" Optimus said to him. Jack spun around to face them all.

"Really?"

"You've proven your bravery. Though I will not endanger you by sending you on dangerous missions, even with that suit" Optimus explained to him. Jack nodded jogging over to the bots. He managed to find his place next to Jazz and Arcee. She looked down.

"Congrats Jack" she winked to him.

"He wasn't kidding" Jack said with a big smile.

"Primes don't kid" She said as they looked at him.

"Autobots, I've heard grave tales from Agent Fowler" recently the Autobots had made a reconnection with Fowler. Even thought the Autobot division was disbanded years ago, he kept in touch, passing them whatever information he could.

"I have been alerted that a threat has occurred in the city of London, within the United Kingdom" Optimus explained further. All the Autobots became deadly serious, especially Arcee.

"What happened?" She asked. Optimus looked at her.

"From what Fowler has told me, a group of fanatical humans have attacked the Royal Bank of Scotland, stealing currency sailing into the amounts of four hundred thousand." He stood tall as he explained the situation further.

"So? Heists like that happen all the time" Jack chipped in.

"While Jack is correct, this is not a normal heist. The group were seen wearing this logo" Optimus beamed up an image of one of the escaping men, dressed head to toe in black, a balaclava hiding his face, with an M4 carbine in his right grip and huge sack of money in his left. All of the Autobots eyes widened as they saw the logo. It was a purple Decepticon logo on his left shoulder.

"Decepticons, how?" Ironhide asked.

"They have referred to themselves as the Decepti-Sapiens , a group of Decepticon worshiping humans who believe in their quest for tyranny" Optimus closed the hologram. Ironhide nodded as he rubbed his chin. Jack did the same.

"Okay. So we've got a group of dangerous Decepticon worshipers, several bank robberies, and making off with millions all together. What do the Decepticons want with that sort of money?" Jack had to ask.

"I believe that Starscream is as devious as Megatron, and is planning something. Whatever he is using these humans for, it will not be for mankind's greatest interest" Optimus nodded. All the Autobots agreed.

"So what do we do?" Bulkhead asked as he joined the conversation.

"From what Agent Fowler has told me, another heist is in play as we speak, in the heart of London"

"They struck twice, in the same city?" Jazz asked, confused.

"Yes, and this time they have hostages. Police have surrounded the area but we will need to intervene if Decepticons are present"

"Agreed, Optimus, we may look out of place though, most of us being disguised for life in the United States" Ratchet said fist to his mouth in a thinking pose.

"A wise notion old friend"

"That rules Ratchet out and his American ambulance design. Ironhide's massive pickup wouldn't be a common sight over there. Pickups in this size aren't exactly allowed, roads are different, smaller, which ultimately rules out Bulk too" Jack explained. Bulkhead and Ironhide groaned.

"Jack, you are a human, you know more of this world than us. Who would be inconspicuous?" Optimus asked. Jack sighed and thought deeply about the team, looking down. He had a choice: Jazz, Arcee, Bumblebee, or Optimus.

After several seconds, he made his choice. "Honestly? Arcee" She widened her eyes and looked at everyone else.

"wha...me?"

"Yeah, you're a motorcycle, not uncommon over there. You're not a specific American design and could've be imported to Britain and fit in fine" Jack looked at Optimus. He in turn looked up at Arcee.

"Arcee, you will go to oversee this situation and ultimately help stop these fanatics" She put her hands behind her back and stood straight.

"I won't let you down" She nodded. Optimus looked back at Jack.

"Then of course there's Jazz. You chose a classic racing Porsche as your form. They are rare over there yeah, but not uncommon to it earning suspicion, you'd just get admired a lot" Jack smiled. Jazz nodded.

"Jazz, you will accompany Arcee" Optimus ordered him. Jazz's blue tinted visor slid down over his optics.

"You got it Optimus" He said with a fist slam into the other palm. Optimus looked over the duo.

"Bumblebee chose an American muscle car as his form. That'll raise suspicion, especially in the heart of London" Jack said. "Sorry Bee"

He swatted his hand with a smile. "Don't worry. This has to work" Bumblebee said.

"You will both keep covert surveillance until anything gets out of control" Optimus ordered.

"Let me come with" Jack said, not asked.

"Jack, I told you I would not endanger your life"

"When are all of you going to stop baby stepping around me! I can do this. I helped Arcee save you all in Chernobyl"

Optimus stood and rubbed his chiseled chin. Arcee and Jazz stood waiting to go.

"Jack will assist you. It would give him a reason to test the new armor too" Optimus said, going against his previous statement, and his will.

"What about work?" Arcee asked Jack, hands on hips.

"I've got hours till then." He shrugged. Ratchet walked past them towards the panel.

"Let's see if this armor works. Jack, get the under suit on first" Ratchet ordered. Jack nodded, walking over and grabbing the black skin tight suit. He applied it over his current clothes and zipped it up at the front. He took a deep sigh and nodded at Ratchet.

"Do it" was all he said. Ratchet hit the button and the device in Jack's arm beeped. The suit armor before him started hovering and dissolving into different free floating pieces. Soon they all shot at him, latching to the right places. Thigh armor landing on thighs, shin armor on shins.

The chest piece hit his torso, winding him. It transformed and extended around his back, creating the chest rig. Everything clicked smoothly into place, the collar guard, the shoulder plates, gauntlets, everything. He shrugged a little and tensed his arms before rolling his blades and snarling as the helmet formed upwards out of the collar, all the small intricate pieces latching together on the forming back of the helmet. Soon it completely enveloped his head and it locked tight, a neon blue hum glowing from the visor.

A metallic raspy breath exhaled inside. He looked down at all the pieces locked in. The boots clamped shut and he sighed as he cracked his neck from side to side.

"Yeah, cos this looks really inconspicuous. Blue and gold Isaac Clarke" Jack chuckled. He looked down at his chest and saw the Autobot logo in gold on his pecks. He pressed it and clicked it in hard and the suit hummed down as all the armor untied and disconnected, forming upwards all into a small backpack that closed tight onto his under suit back. He looked over his shoulder as the blue and gold suit shut into the cube.

"Cool" He smirked. "Okay. What's my part?"

"You're the human of our team Jack. You will be giving valuable Intel, from safety" Optimus said as he leaned down opening a hologram of the map. The bank was in the center in red and all the buildings nearby illuminated blue in this three dimensional image.

"This building overlooks the HSBC bank in Canary Warf, where the heist is happening. You can use the thrusters Ratchet put in your boots to ascend the tower quickly without being spotted by inside security. Once aloft the roof, use the scope on your inbuilt plasma rifle to...Ratchet how many weapons and gadgets did you give him?" Optimus asked. Ratchet shrugged.

"I got carried away"

"Anyway. Jack my dear friend; be careful. You can use this rifle to aim and watch the heist as it is happening. Arcee and Jazz will park nearby, ready to catch them off guard when they try to escape. Your Intel will make this mission a success. Do not starve them of information" Optimus ordered. Jack knew he had a powerful part to play here.

_Don't screw it up_ he thought.

"I won't let you down Commander" He nodded to Optimus. He smiled back to Jack and let him step over to Jazz and Arcee.

"Looking good Jack" She nodded with a stifled chuckle at his tight under suit with blue and gold cube backpack.

"Thanks" He smirked. Optimus looked at the two Autobots.

"And you two. Unless fired upon or Decepticons attack civilians, stay in vehicle form. Understood?"

"Yes sir" They both nodded.

Ratchet walked over to his bridge controls. He grabbed the lever. "Good luck everyone" he said, pulling the lever down. The familiar vortex of green energy swirled and Jazz and Arcee transformed. Jack climbed onto Arcee and through they went, a splash of energy signalling each ones departure. Optimus sighed as he watched them go.

"You doubt him?" Bulkhead asked. Optimus shook his head.

"No. I fear what the Decepticons are doing"


	4. Chapter 4: London heist

Starscream stood aloft the Nemesis's bridge as he overlooked the city of London. The invisible cloaked ship made for the perfect vantage point. He rubbed the gap on his palm where two fingers used to be. He snarled and looked up as Soundwave approached from behind. He tilted his head and looked to the featureless face of Soundwave.

"What? Autobots...here? Of course" Starscream hissed. "Don't worry, they won't be a problem. Patch the information on them through to _him_" he snarled, looking back out across London.

Soundwave turned, silently walking away as he sent the coordinates of the ground bridge detection to the awaiting receiver.

Starscream communicated with the leader of the Decepti-Sapiens. "If you have the currency in hand, it's time to escape. Autobots have entered the city" He snarled.

...

Meanwhile inside the bank, people trembled in fear, hands tied by thick rags and bags over their heads, obscuring their vision. Around eight Decepti-Sapien operatives were inside, completing the transfer of credit to their account. One of the many black dressed soldiers tapped away at a laptop.

"Sir the transaction is complete" he looked up. They were wearing Megatron inspired helmet designs, silver metal curved into the shape of his head. On their heads, faces visible, where Megatron's would be.

The leader wore the same helmet design, stood with broad shoulders and hands behind his back.

"I understand lord Starscream. Yes we will return soon" He snarled in his raspy voice. He turned, facing the soldier.

"We have the required funds?" He asked in a deep voice. The soldier closed the laptop.

"Yes sir, it is all accounted for, and I fried their circuitry, so they cannot retrace our account"

"Autobots are here. Time to go mobile" He said in his powerful voice, swirling his finger in the air as the soldiers nodded.

"All hail the Emperor of destruction!" They howled before grabbing plasma rifles, designed in similarity to the Vehicons triangular barreled guns. They lifted the hostages to their feet, screams and whimpers sounding as they thought it was an execution.

"We have a use for you all now!" The leader cried "Time to earn your continued existence" his face plate automatically slammed shut over his mouth, just his eyes visible. All of the soldiers shared this and slammed their face guards shut, their Decepticon logos on their arms shining in the glow of the bright ceiling lighting. They began marching hostages towards the exit.

...

At the same time, Arcee, Jazz and Jack arrived in London. It was night time, darkened skies above them cloudy and drizzling slight rain. Arcee stopped as did Jazz.

"Okay Jack. Remember our plan. Jazz go get into position, I'll be there in a second" His Porsche mode spun and drifted into the street from the green hued alleyway. The Ground Bridge shut behind them.

In the cover of darkness and the alley way, she quietly transformed into her robot form, kneeling down to his eye level. She grabbed his shoulders.

"Jack, be careful; I'm trusting you" He rolled his eyes "But, I know you can get it done" she smiled. She pecked a kiss on his forehead and slid back into her bike form.

"Be safe, keep in contact. Sadie appeared on her seat and she drove out into the street, the taped off bank in sight. Police and even SAS operatives were in play. Jack took a deep breath of bravery and slapped the Autobot logo on the under suit chest. The mechanical suit of armor began forming around him. Seconds later it locked in and formed. He stepped back as he got use to the sudden weight.

He walked around the back of the building, waiting behind a dumpster for someone smoking a cigarette to go back inside. He quietly breathed and heaved, his heart thumping.

_You survived Chernobyl. you can do this. Don't let them down._

The man stood outside the fire exit flicked the exhausted cigarette butt into the alleyway, exhaling the last cloud of smoke and turning back inside. Jack heard a door slam shut and he walked out, moving to the wall.

"whoa. Okay, thrusters...thrusters, activate" He whispered. Nothing happened.

"What do I Dorothy it and tap my heels together?" He mocked.

"Come on work you-" suddenly the boots shot upwards and dropped slightly. He steadied himself and got use to the uneasy feeling of floating on these jet propelled boots.

"Whoa, okay okay, come on...err up" he said as he gently eased upwards, hands walking up the wall as he steadied himself, gently ascending the side of the building.

He could see the flashing of blue and red lights from the parked police cars outside the lit up bank.

"Nearly there..." He sighed as he neared the roof ledge.

...

Arcee and Jazz parked up, diminishing Sadie and turning off their headlights.

"Now we wait huh?" Jazz asked. She nodded her wing mirror to him.

"Jack, you okay?" She whispered.

He continued to climb, grabbing the ledge and thrusting himself over, the boots cutting out and crashing against the roof. He groaned as he sat up, the metallic blue and gold paint job reflecting in the luminous moonlight that broke through the dark clouds.

"Err. Yeah. I'm fine" He groaned as he stood up in the suit. Walking wasn't difficult, he'd had practice for all that in Chernobyl. He flicked his wrist and the plasma rifle elongated from it, enveloping his hand. The barrel clicked together and the scope extended outwards. He held the barrel with his left hand and aimed with a squinted eye at the situation below.

"Okay guys, we've got one, two...eight policeman, all in those high visibility jackets. On the building across the road though..." looking onto the balcony he saw two black dressed anti terrorist SAS men, aiming sniper rifles. "We've got guys with sniper rifles" He used the scope and searched for his team. He only just saw Jazz's white form and Arcee parked in front of him.

He heard voices shouting and guns clicking. He aimed back at the front of the Bank. Stepping out...were the Decepi-Sapiens.

"Whoa...the Decepti-Sapiens Cee, and lots of them. They're walking out now with hostages. Looks like they are using...Vehicon rifles?"

"So they don't worship the Decepticons, they work for them, figures" Jazz growled.

"What else Jack?" She asked. He scanned the situation of shouting policeman and armed fanatics behind terrified civilians. The situation was getting out of hand. Jack looked up and saw gentle movement: Two purple Vehicon cars, lurking in the dark, behind the bank.

"whoa, Cee we've got two Vehicons waiting behind the bank!" He told them.

Suddenly the Vehicons transformed, shooting a purple pulse and blowing the police and hostages over. They leaped over into the street in front of the Bank, transforming back into their slick purple cars. The fanatical men ran to the cars, getting in and slamming the doors. Sniper bullets from the SAS dented the cars. The police staggered to their feet when the cars screeched forward.

"what the hell was that!" was a sentence amongst other policemen and screams as the police shot after the cars and attended the hostages. Some bypassing civilians shouted and screamed as they ran for cover.

"Jazz, Cee. They're getaway cars, and they're heading for you. Be ready" Jack suddenly heard the whooping of sirens and a black police car on its own gave chase.

"Guys, we've got a lone police car in pursuit, but it's different"

"How so?"

"It's a black mustang"


	5. Chapter 5: London chase

Arcee and Jazz sat immobile by the side of the road, listening to Jack's Intel. Seconds later the roar of car engines and gunshots crackling sounded.

"Okay Jazz, be ready" She said sternly. She positioned her wing mirror, showing Jazz's vehicular form in the reflection.

"Here we go Cee"

Suddenly the Vehicons drifted around the corner, towards them. As the Vehicons neared, they saw the beefy hulk of the black Mustang veer around the corner in pursuit. Sirens blaring and the night lit up with blue and red flashes.

Suddenly Jazz and Arcee activated their headlights with a bright burst, and Sadie manifested on top of her. She revved, along with Jazz. The Vehicons whizzed by, and the unknown police car. Arcee's back wheel spun, squealing and smoking. The smell of burnt rubber tingeing the air. Jazz followed her as she spun around and raced after them with a swift back wheelie and acceleration.

She raced after them, Jazz catching up.

"You're getting old Jazz" She said with an unseen smirk. He scoffed.

"Yeah right, I can keep up with you Cee" He chuckled as the white Porsche pulled alongside her. The Vehicons raced ahead, followed by the pursuing mustang. Arcee kept up as they swiftly turned, heading towards the busier center of Trafalgar square. Many civilian cars were now in their path, causing Jazz to file behind Arcee. Cars swerved and veered aside to the unrelenting Vehicons. Red London buses screamed horns and swerved onto pavements to avoid the Vehicons.

Inside one of the purple Vehicons, the Decepti-Sapien leader pulled out his plasma rifle and leaned out the window, aiming over the mustang and at the Autobot marked heroes.

"For tyranny" he growled, before firing the rifle.

"Cee, move!" Jazz swiped across the intersection and headed around the large roundabout. Arcee swerved from left to right dodging the red plasma energy discharging at her. Suddenly Jazz rejoined, alongside the Mustang now. He peered over at this unknown police pursuer. He saw some white font on his rear wheel arch.

"To punish and..." Jazz's windscreen wipers rose like eyebrows. "Ah scrap! Cee, this guy ain't pursuing them, he's protecting em!"

"What?"

"He's a con!" Jazz roared, slamming his smooth Porsche exterior against the ridged muscular Mustang, sparks and shredded paint flying. The Mustang barely fazed from the hit, swerved on his brake locked back tires, turning a full one hundred and eighty degree spin to face Arcee and Jazz. Suddenly fists sprouted out of the side of it on long arms and slammed into the tarmac. Feet dug into the cracking concrete and Barricade formed.

"Autobot scum!" he roared, smashing Jazz's side with his arm, sending the Porsche veering into oncoming traffic. He quickly corrected, missing a huge truck.

"Jazz, stay on them! I'll deal with this guy" Arcee snarled as she raced at him. But to her amazement, he quickly transformed, racing off in a totally different direction.

"What the?" she questions, before shaking her handlebars and revving after Jazz.

...

Barricade raced off to another location. He screeched to a halt, reversing slightly in front of a dark, blackened alleyway.

"It's time" Barricade snarled. Huge rectangular blasts of light blared and the massive hulk of beefy Buffalo drove out of the alleyway. Six wheels spinning, he emerged and headed onto the road, heading towards the next stage of their plan.

...

Jack carefully angled down the side of the building, getting used to the thrusters boots. He landed on the floor with a thud and staggered from the boots.

"Kay, okay think" He hissed at himself. He saw down the alleyway into the street the police tending to frightened victims and hostages. Suddenly the roar of a fighter jet bellowed over head. He peered up at the gridded night sky between the buildings, a swift black hull whizzing overhead.

"This is getting out of hand, fast" He raised his hand to his helmeted ear. "Cee?"

"What is it Jack? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Look you've got some sort of fighter inbound. It's big"

"Oh Primus, is it Blitzwing?" She stammered.

"I don't think so, didn't seem as big. Just be safe, okay?" he ordered her.

"You too"

Jack closed the communication and started jogging down the alleyway, opposite way from the bank.

With his blaster rifle in grip he jogged, breathing hard as he remembered Chernobyl, a time when he was running down an alleyway, only to have Blackout hover at the only exit. Terrifying times, seeming to repeat in London. He stopped running, knowing they were too far. He sighed and contacted Optimus, knowing this mission was failing.

"Optimus? It's Jack"

"Jack? What is going on? Miko has started playing the BBC news and helicopter footage depicts a Decepticon in Trafalgar Square"

"Yes! Prime, we need some help!"

Optimus sighed and activated the ground bridge.

"I am in route. Autobots, stay here with Raf and Miko, I'll return soon" He said, stepping into the vortex and beaming to a different continent entirely. Optimus left the base in Nevada, Ratchet stammering as Optimus left.

"But..." he sighed as he looked over his shoulder at Bulkhead and Ironhide laughing and throwing things to one another, often his equipment.

"No doubt I'll need that" He moaned at the sound of a crash. Ratchet groaned and walked over to the bridge controls, disconnecting the bridge with a pull of the leaver. Miko stared up at him, older, but still the same mentality and appearance.

"Hey Ratch, what you doing?" Miko asked him, more than once. Bumblebee was knelt down talking to Raf, actually talking not beeping. Ratchet continued to ignore her and trying to calm his furious boiling Energon.


	6. Chapter 6: Emperor of Destruction

Jack stood in the alleyway. A green glow appeared behind him and the red truck of Optimus pulled out, hissing air brakes with a stop. The door sprung open.

"Get in" He said in a strong voice. Jack clambered inside. The green glow faded and Optimus drove forward, edging out onto the road and speeding towards Trafalgar square.

...

At the same time, Arcee was gaining on Jazz. She sped along the open road, the view to her left of the dark Thames. She swung and dipped around black London cabs, trying to catch up.

Jazz however was right behind them, but not close enough to engage, without endangering the people walking nearby. The two Vehicons veered to the left, moving onto another road, heading out towards the iconic Tower bridge. Jazz stayed as close as possible, cutting over the edge of the curb with a thump.

The massive bridge was just ahead, but it was beginning to raise, the two segments lifting up slowly. Alarms quietly blared as the sloshing Thames below was becoming more visible between the two towers. The two Vehicons put the pedal to the metal and sped up towards the ramp like bridge.

By this point, Arcee was right behind them, thankfully to her incredibly quick, light motorcycle form. Jazz got nearer and nearer, when a loud, violent transformation echoed on the unseen other half of the bridge.

Suddenly the huge hulking mass of Bonecrusher raced up the other half on his roller-skate like feet, flying over the Vehicons and Jazz, landing on the road with a tarmac shattering slam. Arcee veered, transforming and slamming against his solid leg. She groaned in pain as she got up and stood with fists raised. Bonecrusher scoffed as he swung his huge fist at her.

At this precise moment, Jazz transformed reaching out from the leaping Vehicon car ahead. He was inches away from grabbing the spoiler when out of nowhere, a black and purple fighter jet slammed into him, grabbing him and flying off with him in tow.

The Vehicons stuck the landing with a bounce and swerve on the other side of the bridge. Now they waited, Barricade rolling up to them.

On the other segment, Arcee fought with the gigantic Bonecrusher. She leaped up, delivering a kick to his head, barely nudging it. He swung his fork like arm on his back, and swatted her across the bridge. Police and news station helicopters shone beams of light on the fight and recorded this alien encounter. Bonecrusher looked up at the helicopter that was blinding him and snarled, aiming his wrist cannon. Just as he fired, a blue energy blast hit his arm, jerking it off course, missing the helicopter. He hissed at the owner of the blaster.

Arcee was crouched heaving and grimacing in pain, left hand propped under the blaster barrel.

Behind Bonecrusher, the bridge was lowering. He looked back at her and the arrival of Optimus, speeding onto the road towards the bridge. Bonecrusher took a defensive stance with a chuckle.

Optimus kept speeding as Jack leaped from the cabin, using his thruster boots to land without a scratch. He staggered and jerked forward, getting his balance back. Optimus kept racing ahead.

He transformed, slamming his fists into Bonecrusher's palms. They both growled at one another as the titans pushed against one another. Optimus's faceplate hid his snarl. The bridge lowered behind and a purple drone flew to the other side, becoming Soundwave, stood slender behind the Vehicons.

Optimus pushed with a roar, slowly sliding the gigantic Decepticon hunter backwards. Bonecrusher broke eye contact, gazing over his broad shoulder at Soundwave.

"Time to go, maybe next time Optimus" He hissed, throwing Prime's fists down and slamming his knee into Optimus's face, jerking the Prime's head back. Optimus fell back, dazed.

"Optimus!" Arcee cried, firing at Bonecrusher as he walked away to the awaiting Soundwave. A ground bridge appeared in front of Soundwave and Barricade drove through, followed by the two Vehicons, holding the Decepti-Sapiens inside them. Bonecrusher smirked at Soundwave with fists clenched as he walked through the portal with not even a backward glance.

The vortex disappeared and Soundwave stood, staring at them with his eyeless face.

Optimus sat up with a groan, Jack and Arcee helping him up. Jack looked up and stared at Soundwave. He gazed back just as hard and sinisterly still.

"I rise. You fall" Soundwave used an Optimus quote to relay his thoughts. That he had returned, and that he would kill Jack. The Decepticon transformed, flying off back to the Nemesis. Optimus stared at the jet as it flew off.

"Cee? Wheres Jazz?" Jack asked.

Her eyes widened. "Oh scrap, Jazz!"

...

Skywarp carried Jazz for miles when he released him, dropping him from the night sky, crashing into the ruin of an abandoned Church. Jazz slid and cracked along the concrete and rows of long pews. He came to a stop and groaned in pain and lack of energy.

The Jet hovered above the huge hole in the broken timber ceiling. He squashed up, turning into his robot mode. Skywarp dropped down with a thud. Silence returned. Shrines dedicated to Christianity were stood in the dark, overlooking them. Jazz wiped the Energon from his mouth with his wrist.

"Isn't it funny? All of these religions are basically factions to be followed, to fight over. But that's all they are, a reason to fight. My god is better than yours, all that scrap" Skywarp preached as he walked around the Church, and circled Jazz. "On Cybertron, there were only two factions, Autobot and Decepticon. We managed to destroy our world with that. Imagine what humanity could do to this world with all these factions?"

"Warp. How ya been?" He smirked. Skywarp kicked Jazz's chest, making him groan in pain. He cupped his torso.

"Do not call me that! I am Skywarp!"

"I'd have called Thundercracker his nickname, but I don't want to play to my stereotype" Jazz joked with a groan, sitting up. Skywarp chuckled gently.

"You remember him then? The seeker whose spark you snuffed? My brother" Skywarp hissed.

"He was blue, right?" Jazz sarcastically growled. Skywarp slammed his boot against Jazz's head, making him splutter Energon. Jazz groaned and arched his back like a cornered cat.

"Even without your friends to back you up, you are still so very...witty" Skywarp snarled, raising his blaster to Jazz's skull.

"That's where you're wrong Warpy. I've always got friends..." he said, pointing to the Church doorway. Ironhide was stood, aiming both his huge wrist cannons at Skywarp with a smirk. "...To back me up" Jazz smiled. A green hue dissipated outside the building.

Skywarp sighed, shaking his head. He quickly propelled himself upwards, transforming and flying through the roof of the Church. Ironhide fired, missing the jet by inches. He growled before deactivating the wrist cannons and walking over to Jazz.

"How'd you find me?" Jazz moaned. Ironhide scoffed as he helped him up.

"Tracked Skywarp. Good job on placing that tracker on his wing"

"I aim to please. Glad Ratchet could pick it up" He smirked. A ground bridge appeared and they walked through it, Jazz limping.

...

Starscream stood on the bridge of the Nemesis, watching Soundwave fly overhead to the landing pad. He smirked as he knew the mission was a success.

"That is why I am Lord Starscream, emperor of Destruction!" He shouted, striking a bicep curled pose. Blackout stomped over behind him, alongside Shockwave.

"Nobody calls you that Starscream" Blackout sighed, crossing his titanic arms and looking out over the stars as the Nemesis flew away from London.

"What's with all these petty robberies Starscream? I missed out on a chance to kill Arcee for this" He growled.

"How little faith you have Blackout. These crimes allow us to amount a large amount of Earth currency, which in turn allow us to purchase the necessary uranium rods" He smirked.

"Why not just steal them?" Blackout asked, a true Decepticon statement.

"Steal them once, you only get one. Buy one, you become a customer. It also deters from any unwelcome attention. Stolen rods are a problem. Bought ones are business" Starscream cleverly explained. Blackout nodded.

"Impressive Starscream, Autobots won't be alerted to bough rods. Stolen ones create panic" Blackout chuckled. "What are the uranium rods for?" Starscream chuckled, tapping his fingers together.

"Emperor of destruction, Blackout; I'll be forever known as the Emperor of destruction" He laughed evilly as his devious plan came together.


	7. Chapter 7: Return to Base

Meanwhile the ground bridge reopened at the Autobot base. Jack walked through first, head low. Soon after were Arcee and the massive Optimus Prime. She sighed and held her head low.

"Well, that could have gone better" Jack took a deep inhale, deactivating the body armor. It dissipated into the cube on the under suit. He unzipped the suit and pulled it down, like tackling a boa constrictor. He saw Miko and Raf, A smile on his face.

"Jack!" They cried as they jogged over. Arcee walked past and Jack simply pats the back of her leg, letting her know he was there for her. She smiled gently and walked over to the other Autobots and a sat down Jazz on the edge of Ratchet's medical table.

"Yo, Cee" Jazz said to her.

"Hey Jazz. You okay?" she asked sincerely, crossing her arms and putting her weight on her right hip. He nodded.

"I'll be better when the Doc stops poking me with his damn tech!"

"Do you want the fractured piston fixed Jazz?" Ratchet asked him sarcastically. Jazz groaned and held out his injured arm for the Doctor.

"Sorry about what happened" she solemnly sighed, stroking her upper left arm.

"Don't worry. Not you're-ow- fault Cee" He smiled, taking a shot from Ratchet's array of large needles.

"Hold still Jazz!" Jack heard echo across the room. Miko slammed into him with a big hug, tight like a vice. Raf simply waved and nodded, pushing his glasses back up onto his nose. Jack tried to wave back. Miko pulled away, letting Jack exhale, the under suit on the floor with the armor cube in place on top.

"Ahh..hey Miko. Long time no see. How's the family in Japan?" He asked. She shrugged, flipping out her pink phone.

"They're okay. Look, me and Bulk drove down this mountain! Look at all the rocks and sharp-"

"Miko, they don't need to know that" Bulkhead nervously chuckled, closing her phone with his huge finger.

Arcee was walking over to Optimus, past Jack and the others.

"Oh, and we heard about you two!" Miko shouted. Arcee and Jack's shoulders tensed and they quickly stared at Miko, eyes wide.

"What! You do? How?"

"Of course, we all know silly!" Arcee and Jack peer at one another, gulping.

"Your little trip to Chernobyl was quite the story!" Miko explained, both Jack and Arcee exhaling and relaxing their rigid spines.

"Running through radiation, to save the day, partners in crime! Wish I was there" She huffed, pouting and crossing her arms.

"Trust me Miko, you don't. I would be dead if it wasn't for Cee over here" He smiled to her. She shrugged, looking down at them.

"Ah, you did alright too...partner" she smirked, walking over to Optimus. Jack looked back to his friends.

"So Raf, you had a good holiday?"

"It was okay. Would rather have been here with Bee" He said as Bumblebee lent down.

"We can play games whenever" He said to his human friend. Raf nodded to him.

"How bout now?" Raf asked, wide eyed. Bumblebee shrugged.

"Don't see why not" the two walked off.

"See ya Jack" Raf shouted. Jack nodded, turning to see Miko staring at him, eyebrow raised.

"What?" he asked as she analyzed him.

"Something's off with you. Is it a girl?" She asked with a grin, hoping to dig up valuable intel on him. He scoffed.

"Yeah, sure"

"Come on. There's someone" Miko got nearer. Luckily Bulkhead called her over, letting her interrogation end. She quickly jogged over, phone in grip. Jack sighed and saw Optimus talking to Arcee. He could hear the deep voice from meters away.

"Arcee that was a disaster; with the Decepticons and humans working together, and Soundwave's bridging abilities in play, this will only make future scenarios more difficult"

"Plus those Cons we met" Jack interrupted from below. Optimus looked at him, giving an ever so faint smile. He leaned down.

"Jack. I must congratulate you on your first mission with the team; excellent work on supplying the information to Arcee and Jazz" Optimus said to him.

"They still got away with all that money, disappearing with no evidence or suspects left behind. Perfect crime" Jack sighed. Arcee knelt down next to him. She lifted his head with her finger.

"Good job. We don't always win Jack" she reinstalled, telling him not to dwell, though all he heard was the word "job"

"Ah Job! I've gotta get to work!" he sighed, slapping his forehead. Luckily he was already out of his armor and Ratchet had taken it and the under suit for minor repairs.

"I hadn't even considered. Arcee, will you escort Jack to his work arrangements please?" Optimus asked, standing up.

"My pleasure, hop on kiddo" she said as she morphed down into the motorcycle. He hopped on, no helmet. She skidded out of the hanger towards the distant town of Jasper.


	8. Chapter 8: The truth of Jack's father

**!Spoiler! for this Chapter! read this Author note after reading whole Chapter!:** Jack's fathers death was so gripping to write, especially while listening to Hans Zimmer's incredibly powerful Man of Steel song "Tornado" You can see the scene unfolding in your mind. Hope you liked it too! love you guys!

* * *

Night time fell over Jasper Nevada. Jack walked out of the K.O burger, yawning and stretching as he strolled over to the awaiting blue motorcycle. He chuckled gently.

"You waited?" He asked.

"Of course" She said with a gentle voice. He pats her chrome tank and climbed on. Jack went to grab his helmet, remembering he didn't have it.

"Oh yeah...came straight from the base"

"I'll be carefully Jack" She said as if he doubted her.

"Oh no, not you Cee. Just..."

"June?"

"Yep"

Arcee pulled out, headlights bright. A quick turn and she raced off onto the street light illuminated road, empty of most cars.

"You know she only does it cos she cares Jack" Arcee told him. He sighed.

"I know Cee, but for god sake I'm twenty years old now! She needs to let me go sometime"

"She's a single mother Jack. Not an easy task"

"Wait, what do you know about-"

"Common sense Jack, try it sometime?" She said with a flick in the end of her sentence, as if offering it out.

"Okay, fair enough Cee. I should cut her some slack. She works hard" Jack sighed as Arcee turned onto their estate, as they raced along the row of houses.

"You know Jack; you never did tell me what you told June about me"

"What, when she saw your motorcycle form a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh, well...I told her..." He sighed "...I told her I got a motorcycle exactly like you, to remind me of you" He said, obviously having to lie since June couldn't know of their return. She still thought they'd left and never came back. Arcee stopped by the side of the road, Jack steadying her with his foot on the curb.

"Whoa Cee, what are you doing?"

"You said that?" She asked softly.

"Well yeah. I would have too. Cee I was devastated when you left. Four years of leaving work and hoping I'd see you propped up waiting for me...like earlier"

She sat silently, wing mirrors drooping. "I...Jack, I'm sorry" She said with a throat croak. He stroked her smooth chrome tank.

"Don't worry about it. You're back now. That's all that matters"

"And don't worry. I am not going anywhere" She said, mirrors lifting and facing him.

"Thanks Cee. Come on. Let's get you home" He said to her, pushing off from the curb.

...

Moments later they arrived home. She kicked out her stand as Jack got off and went to open the garage manually.

He lifted it and came face to face with an arms crossed, foot tapping June Darby. One of her eye brows was raised.

"You left that on the desk this morning" She sighed, pointing over her shoulder at the helmet. He deeply exhaled, his spine sagged slightly.

"Jack, what have I told you about riding without your helmet! Do ...do you want to have an accident...like your father?" she said with a tremble. He looked up at her.

"Of course not mom...I-"

"Then just wear it! Please!" She emotionally stammered, turning away. Jack caught her shoulder and brought her in for a hug. She tightly wrapped her arms around him. Arcee watched, tilting slightly and raising a wing mirror, like an eyebrow.

_So that's what happened to his Dad. No wonder she was so overprotective of him around me. Wait, does that mean that his Dad never left them? I...wait_

"I'll wear it mom. I promise. For you, for Dad" Jack said, breaking Arcee's daydream.

June nodded to him. She looked over his shoulder at Arcee, just thinking it was a standard blue motorcycle, not aware it was the actual Arcee.

"You really miss her don't you?" June asked him with a comforting smile. he looked at the bike.

"Everyday" He sighed.

"I'm sure she misses you too sweetheart. Come on. come in, get washed and go to sleep" she ordered, kissing his forehead. "I love you" Jack sighed at those words and shook his head gently.

June walked back inside. The garage door to the house shut and he propped the door higher up so Arcee could drive in, which she did by herself. He dropped the door behind her with a slam and locked the wooden door to the house with a click.

"Go ahead" he said, letting her quietly transform. She crouched, looking over at him as he stroked the top of his smooth motorcycle helmet.

"Everyday huh?" She smirked. he scoffed.

"Yes alright. I care about you, so wrong?" He shrugged his shoulders, arms out.

"If it's any conciliation, I missed you everyday too" She said. Jack stopped, looking at her.

"Really?"

"Of course I did, I'm not totally void of all emotion you know" she said to him. He chuckled under his breath, looking at the desk, and helmet. he shook his head as he looked at the helmet.

"So stupid, hurting Mom like that" he sighed to himself. Arcee wrapped her long slender arms around his torso, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're only human Jack. You forgot it _once_. Just make sure you remember it _every_ time, yeah?" she said in his ear. He chuckled as he raised his left hand and stroked her cheek.

"Yeah. Thanks Cee" he turned his head and met her lips, closing their eyes. They soon parted and she looked at him.

"Whenever you need me" she smiled. The smile faded though as he looked away, and her questions bubbled up.

"Jack...you remember when we were stargazing...the first time?" She had to be delicate with this.

He nodded as she hugged him tight.

"You said that your Dad left you guys...are...is that true?" She dropped it from her mouth. Jack stood silently for a few seconds. a long sigh escaped his mouth.

"When I was twelve, Mom and Dad had an argument. It was about his obsession with motorcycles. He had this one bike he loved to pieces, absolutely adored" He explained, Arcee listening with her head on his shoulder.

"One day they're arguing about it and how he never wears any protection. Some other words were said and she told him to get lost. He did, getting on his bike and driving off angry. That was one of the last times I would ever see him Cee. He pulled out and drove off, I watched from my bedroom window" He took a deep inhale, a tremor in his voice. She hugged him just a little tighter, making him calm down.

Jack leaned forward to the desk and cautiously opened the first drawer. Inside was an old, scrunched newspaper, the front page of the _Jasper Times._

_Three injured, one killed in horrific multi-vehicle pileup, ending in horrific explosion. _

Arcee saw the headline and looked to Jack. He wasn't crying, just merely looking at it and remembering something.

"That day, I went looking for him, the intersection near K.O burger. I was running along the path when I heard a screech, a bang and a crash. I turned the corner Cee, and I saw it. Several cars embedded in one another, people clambering out and running. There was fuel spilling everywhere and sparks igniting and flashing" He explained as his eyes became glassy.

"I...I saw him. Lying under the w-wreck of his bike, pinned there by the cars, he cried for help but no-no one came. I ran, ran as fast as I could" Jack looked up at the wall, eyes widened slightly.

"Then he saw me. Just stared as if I was the last person he ever wanted to have seen him like this. but then his expression changed, as if happy it was me. He mouthed three words at me; I still remember it to this day. I...love...you" Arcee squinted as she could feel the Energon welling. She hugged his body and pressed her cheek to his head.

"Then he smiled, closed his eyes...and the fuel ignited. I had to have counseling and psychiatry visits for weeks, but soon I calmed down, I understood"

"Understood what?" she asked gently.

"That he didn't die without a goodbye Cee. He died seeing me. Seeing my mom's eyes. He saw both of us, in me." He said pointing to his own eyes. "He died believing in me...in us."

"So why did you say that he left you?"

"Because it's just too hard to face the truth Cee. Face the fact that someone wonderful and caring died because...because he was angry and wasn't wearing one of these!" He snarled, swiping his helmet at the wall.

Arcee hugged him so tight and he hugged her arms as she brought them up, cupping his shoulders.

"I'm so sorry Jack" She said.

"What are you sorry for?"

"When we first met, you said..."I'm sorry for your loss" I snapped at you, and said "W-what could you know about loss?" You did know, all too well" she stammered, hugging him tight. He smiled gently.

"I haven't lost him. He's still here" Jack smiled as he pointed to his forehead. "In me, in my memories"

"Sorry I lied to you Cee. I just didn't know how to tell you the truth then, but now...No secrets between us, no lies, deal?"

She gently nuzzled his neck with her mouth. "Deal" He looked at the newspaper and scrunched it up. she gasped.

"Jack! No!"

He looked up at her. "Closure. I needed that...thank you Cee. For being my someone to talk to" He said, caressing her cheek. She smiled.

"You are welcome Jack" He could feel those same three words his Dad said bubbling up in his heart, finding their way to his wobbling throat.

_Come on, just tell her. You know you feel it. Tell her you love her! Scream it from the roof Jack!_

"Cee. I-"

Jack heard a car pull up outside. Arcee groaned and she let go, slouching over to the corner and transforming.

"Sorry Cee. I'll be back in a sec" He smiled.

"Yeah, yeah. Go get the door" She snarled, shutting off her headlights. He scoffed as he unlocked the door walking in the house. He gently pulled the door up and walked over to the front door, the door bell ringing frantically. He walked over to the door, seeing the letterbox raised and two wide eyes peering in. Suddenly the metal flap dropped and the man was stood tall.

Jack opened the door. A man in a suit, with many other suited men stood before him. He had curled hair and dancing eyes as he scanned the house. Suddenly Jack had a badge in his face, reaching out from the man.

"Agent Seymour Simmons, Sector Seven. May I enter the premises...sir" He said, stepping into the Darby house. June walked out of the living room.

"Jack, who was tha-" She stopped as she saw the men.

"June Derby?" He asked her. She sighed, hands on hips.

"It's _Darby_ -who are you again?" she was not pleased by this situation.

"We're the Government, Sector Seven"

"Never heard of it" She growled, crossing her arms.

"Never will" He snarled back. Jack, while his mom and the agent were arguing, gently reached his leg out and tapped the garage door open for Arcee to hear. Her Wing mirrors rose.

The Agent looked at Jack, leaning in close.

"what-" Jack stammered as the face looked over him.

"Why are you here?" June got more irate.

"We are here to take your son for questioning" he smiled with Cheshire cat teeth. June gasped.

"You're not taking my son!" She shouted at him. She looked through the open front door as other agents walked around the front of the house, moving around the side to the garden. Several blacked out SUVs sat on the lawn.

Meanwhile Arcee had transformed, she began slowly crouching backwards towards the garage door.

"Ratchet!" She whispered into the communicator. "Ratchet I need a bridge stat!" She got no response. "Scrap" She thumped her thigh with her fist. Arcee turned to the door, peering through the slit to see no Agents. They had all moved around the back. She quietly lifted the door, slowly and maneuvered under it, now being outside. She quickly transformed and raced off to safety, but having to leave Jack.

She whizzed around a street corner, parking against the curb and watching the events unfold from a distance.

Inside the house though, Jack squared up with the Agent.

"You are not taking my son" The lone mother defended her beloved son.

"Oh really, you going to get rough with us?" Simmons asked in a sarcastic tone, making Jack clench his fist.

"No, but I'm going to call the cops because there is something very wrong going on here!" she said tapping away at her phone.

"Yeah, there is something wrong about you, your son and this whole operation you got going on here"

June's eyebrow raised as her phone lowered from her ear. "What operation?"

"That is what we are going to find out" He said. Suddenly one of the other agents walked over, tinted glasses over his eyes and an ear piece with a coiled wire running down into his collar.

"Sir, something just left the garage. Something big"

Jack gulped.

"I suggest we scan him" He said to Simmons, handing him a radiation counter. Simmons lifted the scanner and like a metal detector, waved it over Jack. The clicks grew louder and faster as they scanned Jack. The agent's eyes widened at the amount of radiation coming off of him.

"That's it! Bag em and tag em!" He shouted, the agents arresting Jack and June. She put up a fight as they cuffed her. Jack pushed the agents and snarled, but the bigger men won, cuffing him too.

...

Arcee watched from the street a block away as June was dragged from her home and into the back of the SUV, along with Jack. The doors slammed shut, muffling their voices.

"Ratchet! Anyone!" She shouted, only static responding. "Frag! Don't worry Jack...I'm coming" she rolled out onto the road, Sadie on her back as she kept a distance and followed the vehicles as they raced off.


	9. Chapter 9: Sector Seven

At the Autobot base, almost all of the Autobots were in power down. Bulkhead, after a exhausting day with Miko was strewn out along the floor. Ratchet was finally getting some well deserved rest, along with Ironhide and Jazz. Bumblebee was sat in the corner, eyes closed and head down.

The only awake bot, was Optimus. He was looking over the mission report of London, trying to understand Starscream's intention for all of the robberies, amassing millions from across the globe, untraceable crimes thanks to ground bridge technology. He rubbed his chin as he looked over the blue hue emitting screen.

"What do the Decepticons want with Earth currency?"

"Maybe they're planning to buy a house and settle down" Ironhide joked as he woke up, walking over to the exhausted Prime.

"I'm sorry old friend; did I disturb your rest?"

"Nah, not at all Optimus, you should get some rest though"

"No. I still have a lot of work to get completed"

Ironhide shrugged "Prime, you got Ratchet to sleep. That should count as a success on its own" Ironhide smirked. Optimus chuckled under his breath.

"I suppose old friend. I should-"

_Warning! Incoming message from Autobot Arcee_

Optimus turned to the screen, looking over this new information. Ironhide peered over too.

_If anybody reads this, I need help. Jack and June have been captured by humans, called Sector Seven. Please hurry!_

"Teletraan One, what is Arcee's current location?" Optimus asked the computer's artificial intelligence Ratchet recently finished.

_Tracking...tracking...tracking...Arcee is heading along intersection five twelve outside of Jasper Nevada. _

Optimus looked at Ironhide.

"Ironhide, I will require your assistance for this task"

"Let's get going Optimus. Nobody messes with our team" He snarled. Optimus quietly opened the ground bridge, a green hue erupting in a swirl, luckily not waking the other bots.

"Teletraan One, close the bridge behind us, and be ready to open a new one on my signal and coordinates" Optimus ordered.

_Yes sir_

Ironhide and Optimus transformed, rolling forward through the portal.

"Roll out"

...

The Sector Seven black vehicles raced down the midnight road, a blue motorcycle in the shadows not far behind.

June was sat looking at Jack. She sighed.

"What did you do?" She had to ask, and fair enough since these men had never showed up before. Jack scoffed and surrendered his hands.

"What! Me? I haven't done anything; I don't know who these guys are!"

"And you never will" Simmons said as he peered over the passenger seat at them.

"So, Jackson Darby, recently there was an attack in London, a robbery getting away with hundreds of thousands, now you're probably wondering why we're telling you this" Simmons explained. Jack crossed his arms and sighed through his nostrils.

"Well, police and news station footage depicted large - _transforming_ - robots fighting on Tower Bridge. And also, that _you_ were spotted there. Enlighten me" He smirked. Jack's eyes widened and he looked at June, who was also curious.

"What? How could I have been in London last night? I'd still be on the plane coming back" He defended, poorly. Simmons nodded, humming.

"So what do you both know about aliens?" He said out of nowhere. Jack and June gulped, she remembered meeting the Autobots years prior.

"Err like E.T?"

"No, more like Transforming machines" Simmons knew this information on their kind all too well.

"Nothing, we know nothing. Err right mom?" she looked at him gulping and nodding.

"Mmm hmm"

"So it's not you stood with these...aliens in London then?"

"No" Jack hissed.

"Oh okay..." Simmons said, reaching down and grabbing a laminated helicopter shot of the bridge battle. A blue feminine crouched robot and a human identical to Jack in his body armor stood on the bridge in the search light beam. "...So this isn't you?" He pointed to the man. Jack shook his head, even though it was undeniably him.

"We live in a world where everything is photographed and recorded, and uploaded and copied. There are over four hundred phone videos of this London droid death match on YouTube today! And you are trying to tell me, that this isn't you?" He pointed to the face that had been zoomed in for the photograph.

"We want to know how you got there Jackson Darby. It's time to talk!" he shouted at him. Suddenly through the windshield, a massive blue body slammed down on the hood, squashing it and cracking the windscreen. The car slammed to a stop.

The long blue legs were knelt on the flattened engine block and hood. The agents in the car along with June panicked and shouted as a sharp swipe sounded and a silver blade sliced the cars roof straight down the middle. Sparks scraped and soon two silver hands reached through the slice and pulled the two segments apart. Headlights blared down on them from the being, blinding like flood lights. The being placed hands on hips.

Simmons along with the driver shielded their faces from the light. June was also shocked, scared and confused. Jack leaned forward. Her cover was already blown; why not show them not to mess with him.

"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet my partner. Arcee" He smirked, looking up along with them with fear filled eyes. Her headlights deactivated and she leaned down, her equally bright cobalt eyes staring back. She flicked her wrists and both her arm blasters extended.

"You know, I've never killed a human before. But the rule might get bent, just this once" She snarled, inches from them.

"Yeah Cee!" Jack shouted. She looked at him with anger in her eyes.

"I'll deal with you in a minute"

Jack sighed and dropped his shoulders and head. June was still trying to understand what just happened.

"Ar...cee?" She managed. Arcee nervously smiled.

"Yeah...I'll have to explain later" She looked back to the agents with gritted teeth and priming blasters. They weren't scared, or confused by her appearance.

"You don't seem afraid. What, not surprised to see me?" She smirked, knowing there was more to Sector Seven than they led on.

"Well we don't have the authority to communicate with you, only to let you know that-"

"Get out of the car"

"What? You err-"

"Get out...of the car" Arcee repeated, sarcastically.

"You want us to get out of the-"

"Now!" she shouted, aiming a blaster at them, the barrel glowing and humming. They both fumbled to clamber out of the ruined vehicle. The other SUVs were swerved and slammed against the back of Simmons's one.

Jack hopped out of the vehicle, staggering on the pavement. He pulled on the creased door and pried it open, letting his mom climb out. She had a cut on her forehead, a slight trickle of blood. June looked up at Arcee as she stepped off the car, aiming at the agents still.

"And that's the actual Arcee?" She asked him, he sighed and nodded. "Why couldn't you tell me, both of you!" she told off Jack and Arcee. Arcee dropped her shoulders and raised an eyebrow.

"Little busy here June" June then looked to Jack, tapping her foot and arms crossed.

"What, mom we wanted to tell you, but we were sworn to secrecy!"

"By who?"

"By..." a loud engine rumble sounded, and the huge red truck of Optimus rolled up, brakes hissing.

"Him...nice timing" he said as Optimus saw Arcee in robot form.

"Arcee! You know we don't harm humans!" He said, fists pressing into the ground as the truck cabin folded up into his torso. Ironhide transformed as well, the huge pickup morphing into the muscular body. The agents watched in disbelief as Optimus and Ironhide transformed.

He soon walked over to her, along with Ironhide. Optimus was furious; the angriest Jack had ever seen him.

"Lower your weapon Autobot that is an order!" Optimus snarled at her. She looked hurt by his words.

"Why are you angry with me? I had to save them, I didn't have a choice"

Ironhide butt in. "Oh you had a choice Arcee, everyone has a choice!"

"Oh who made you "mister do-right?" Last time I checked your history wasn't full of great choices" She snarled hands on hips.

"You are treading on thin Energon here Arcee" Ironhide threatened.

"Oh go frag yourself" she hissed, crossing her arms with a huff and looking away.

"Both of you cool off" Optimus intervened. He leaned down to the agents. "My name is Optimus Prime. Are you at all associated with Mech or the Decepti-Sapiens?"

The agents looked at one another. "No, we're the government. Just asking this boy some questions"

"Oh bull-scrap, you abducted them!" Arcee shouted, finger accusing him.

"Arcee, that is enough!" Optimus roared at her.

"Hey Optimus, she didn't do anything, it was my fault, I got photographed in London" Jack sighed.

"I will deal with you in a moment" Optimus looked at him in a disappointed glare. He looked back at the agents. He saw the guns on their hips and looked up at the second totaled vehicle, a man with a rifle moving into position, not as stealthily as he thought.

"Ironhide, relieve them of their weapons"

"Yes Prime" He said, emitting a pulse that fried and disassembled all the guns, a pile of pieces falling from their hands and belts, the charging lever of the man's rifle clanging against Ironhide's huge foot. The man staggered back, hands raised.

"I cannot allow you to leave with this knowledge of my team. The safety of your world and race is at stake" Optimus told them. The men chuckled, nervously.

"What...you going to kill us?" Simmons gulped.

"Maybe" Arcee snarled, forming her blaster. Optimus looked at her with a flare in his lip. She backed down.

"No, that is not what we do. But for your safety and the safety of this world, it is imperative that no one knows of us, for if the Decepticons learn of our home, we and your people would be at great risk" Optimus explained.

"Optimus, it's not like we can purge their memories of this encounter. They've seen us. All we can do is leave before they gather proof. Photographic proof" Ironhide whispered to Optimus.

"It would be hard to believe them if they had no proof. Ironhide, emit an energy burst and disable their electronics. No videos of us or photographs" Optimus ordered. Ironhide nodded, clenching his fist and emitting the blue pulse outwards. All of their cameras, phones and spy gear malfunctioned. The agents moaned and groaned.

"Hey!"

"Be thankful. I could have emitted the red burst" Ironhide chuckled. The agent's began to wonder just what that red pulse was, and thank that he didn't use it. Optimus stood up with a groan.

"Autobots, transform and roll out" Optimus ordered, morphing back into his red truck, along with Ironhide and Arcee.

Optimus opened his door. "Mrs Darby, please get in. All will be explained soon" she clambered up and inside.

"Jack, get in" She said. He shook his head, walking over to Arcee. He slid his leg over and held onto the handle bars.

"Jackson Darby, you get in the Autobot leader right now" she ordered.

"No. I'm going with my partner. We'll follow, but I don't want to be near him" Jack said, shocking Optimus.

"Roll out" was all Optimus said, turning and driving off with June. Ironhide followed, and so did Arcee. They sped off down the road, leaving the Sector Seven agents with destroyed tech and weapons.

"Now what?" Simmons clapped his arms against his side, shaking his head. "We need to tell everybody" the other agent pointed to his phone on the floor.

"They already know. Recorded the whole thing before they purged it; live feed to base. Speaker phone" He smirked. It had transmitted several minutes of live conversation to Sector Seven. They had dispatched several SUVs and helicopters to pursue the Autobots.


	10. Chapter 10: A Villian's heroic madness

Blackout stood on the bridge of the Nemesis, overlooking the Night time Atlantic below as the Nemesis fled from Europe, having made away with their robbery winnings. A massive night blackened storm flickered and crackled over the ocean, rain pattering against the hull and windscreen of the Nemesis. There was a calm silence as Vehicons and Eradicons worked on the bridge, controlling the hulk of a ship.

Blackout rubbed his chin and his metal plated handle bar mustache that went down his face around his mouth and formed sharp spikes on his chin, splaying out, smaller than the spikes and prongs on his head. He stared out at the endless lunar reflecting ocean below as the Nemesis raced along it. Waves sloshed and splashed, crashing and tearing at one another, an infinite battle at its core, fighting wave after wave, crashing and frothing. Lightning erupted across the sky in streaking veins of light. Thunder bellowed, muffled inside the calm quiet of the bridge.

Blackout suddenly focused his vision on his broad massive reflection on the bridge windscreen. For a millisecond, he thought it was Grindor, maybe his ghost visiting him from the Allspark. But the moment past and he snarled as he clenched a fist beneath his chin.

Starscream swung around to Blackout's side, a evil smoothness to his stride.

"Well, that went as well as I dreamed" Starscream chuckled. Blackout rolled his eyes and simply peered out at the reflection.

"What? Not impressed with your Emperor of destructi-gah!" He was cut short of his bragging as Blackout wrapped his huge fist around Starscream's throat, lifting the slender fighter jet Decepticon off the floor, legs flailing.

"You are not my Emperor, I answer to no one, understand, only myself!" He snarled, throwing Starscream across the bridge. Vehicons stopped working all together and stared as Starscream spluttered, holding his dented throat and rising to his feet. He looked at all the V shaped red visors staring at him aloft the Vehicon faces. Like an embarrassed bully in a school playground, Starscream challenged them.

"What! What are you all staring at! Get back to work" He coughed as he stormed out of the bridge. Blackout turned to Soundwave. The silent spy simply gazed back, devoid of eyes.

"Soundwave...I have a favor to ask" the bot simply tilted his head slightly to Blackout's request.

"I need you to bridge me to these co ordinates alone...on Cybertron" Blackout showed the being his coordinates and to his surprise, Soundwave nodded. Soundwave gave him just enough of a head tilt as to question why.

"I have something personal I need to attend to. Please" Blackout asked him, almost double the spy's height and mass. Soundwave immediately stepped back and a green swirl emitted. Blackout nodded at him and pats the spy's shoulder as thanks, stepping through. The vortex soon closed and silence resumed on the deck as Soundwave looked back over the ocean below.

...

After three steps, Blackout arrived on a different planet thousands of light-years away: Amazing technology. The bridge popped as it dissipated.

He stepped over the metallic ground and looked up at the massive crumbled moons looming overhead, caught in Cybertron's desolate orbit. Silence was deafening and the sight was debilitating. Iacon: a long cold once smouldering ruin, now a skeleton of a dead city. Even though the Autobots had revived Cybertron, it was still destroyed, and disfigured from the war. Blackout entered a back flip and formed his Pave Low, a human invention flying over Cybertron's skyline.

The rotors clapped in silence as he flew over the collapsed husk of Iacon. Dead streets hung down like shattered ribs and skyscraper ruins pointed to the sky with a warped tinge to their stature, like severed bones piercing Cybertron's skin. Though there was life as glowing blue cracks illuminated across Cybertron's war torn surface.

Blackout arrived at his destination. He transformed and slammed down on his feet, huge arms out to his side. He unclenched his fists and looked down at the floor. Out in this flat of metal and blue hue glowing across the newly revived planet, Blackout knelt down, resting his fist on the ground before him, steadying his body. His folded up rotors slumped behind him and he sighed heavily, shoulders dropping and eyes closing.

"Hey Brother...I know, I know It's been a while. I'm sorry about that, but I've made a lot of progress since I last visited you" He smiled warmly as he looked down at the grave, a single pillar rising up, glowing blue. It was marked with the name Grindor. Blackout tightened his optics as he remembered that fateful day:

_Long after he had retreated from Warpath, Arcee and Optimus during the battle at the Iacon refugee camp, Blackout returned and took Grindor's corpse to bury it. He wiped the Energon from his brother's bored through eye socket wound, and laid him in the rectangular hole in the ground, the massive being crying heavily as he looked upon his dead brother. He placed the metallic plate back over and sealed it shut. Now lays a grave Blackout had erected to commend his brother. Blackout was now the last of the brothers..._

His eyes opened again and he was back int he present.

"I'm so sorry Grindor" He said with a tremble in his deep raspy voice. "I-I should have saved you! I should have trained you better!" He felt fresh hot tears fall from his red glowing optics, landing on his wrist, steam rising as they hissed against his arm.

"But I swear to you, I will avenge you no matter how long it takes. I will bore a round through Arcee's spark and rip her head from her shoulders! I will make sure she pays for what she did to you...my perfect, sweet and innocent brother" He tearfully expelled from his vocal cords, running his two huge right fingers along the grave pillar.

"I've found her though! Yeah my dear brother, I found her! It's almost time to close this tale, and put you to rest" He sniffled as he wiped his huge wrist along his brow, Energon tears smearing.

"Doi Vetch Nala Geth Tu" _[Sleep tight my fallen brother.]_ He spoke in an ancient unused Cybertronian dialect, only known by the Blackout brothers who studied it. He nodded with a deep inhale and stood up with an aged groan.

"Getting old Grindor, sixty four million solar cycles now; Ha, you'd take the rust out of me for that wouldn't ya? Make fun of your older brother" His smile faded with a sigh and nod. "Yeah...I miss you...so much. I'll visit soon, I promise"

He took two steps away before looking back over his shoulder. "With Arcee's head in grasp"

* * *

**Author Notes: A scene I had to add. Really shows some more depth to Blackout.**


	11. Chapter 11: Pursued and an apology

Jack sat silently on Arcee, holding onto her handle bars. He looked down and sighed.

"Jack, you okay?"

"I'm sorry Cee. I shouldn't have got involved" Jack stuttered.

"Hey, don't say that, you did a great job in London"

"I got photographed, and I can't change appearance like you guys. All they had to do was match me to my internet profile and bam...a knock at the door"

"Again, not your fault"

"Thanks Cee, but I know I screwed up. Sorry I got you in trouble with Optimus"

"He's just angry at the situation, I think. I'll try not to aggravate him more. I've got to say Jack; I was surprised when you said that to Optimus"

"Cee, he shouldn't have shouted at you, you saved me. No one shouts at my girlfriend" He said with a stroke of the wing mirror.

"Once again, your flattery saves you. But I want you to apologize to him when we get back to base, understand?" she said to him with a stern tone in her voice. Jack groaned, swinging his head down.

"Understand?"

"Yeah. Okay"

"Thank you Jack"

Suddenly rotor clapping sounded and both Arcee and Jack peered up, praying it wasn't Blackout. It wasn't, it was Sector Seven. Other SUVs were catching up.

"Oh scrap! Optimus, we've got Sector Seven in pursuit!" Arcee shouted.

"Understood" he gave her the bare minimum of a response, Ironhide hit his brakes and dropped back, Arcee and Jack racing by him.

"I'll keep em busy; get Jack and June to safety!" Ironhide shouted, racing forward again as the SUVs caught up with him. His suspension bounced and he emitted an energy burst, stunning the SUVs and bursting their tires. All four of them swerved and came to a stop as Ironhide drove off, laughing.

"haha! Pow! Blow out!" he cackled.

At the same time Optimus raced ahead, June locking in her seat belt tight.

"Teletraan One, we require an immediate ground bridge!"

_Sir this is not possible with Sector Seven in pursuit. I could not close it in time_ the A.I informed Optimus.

"Understood" he sighed, Arcee and Jack catching up alongside him. An empty flood control channel was visible going under a nearby bridge.

"Optimus! The Helicopters won't be able to chase us down there!" Jack shouted.

"A wise notion, move down to the channel" They veered off, smashing through flimsy fencing and down the diagonal concrete wall, sparks scraping off the truck as it skimmed the concrete on the flat. Arcee raced down as well. They skidded and came to a halt under the bridge. Both Autobots transformed, June jogging to Jack.

Optimus's hand came into view, an open palm as he knelt. "Up you get" He said. June carefully clambered into his hand, hugging his finger tight to stay in his hand and not plunge to her death. She reached her hand out to her son. Jack looked at Arcee. She nodded her head to his hand.

"Go on" She gently said.

"No, we stick together partner" Jack stood his ground. Arcee sighed, shaking her head.

"Jack, please. Don't make me pull rank" She smiled, supporting a secret love behind her optics. He looked into her eyes, and just wanted to scream how much he loved her, but with Optimus and June listening, he couldn't, for her sake.

"O...okay" He stuttered. Jack stepped onto Optimus's hand, holding onto the thumb and lifting up. Arcee looked up at him as Optimus lifted his hand up to the side of the bridge.

"Go, get June home" He said as Jack clambered over the hand rail. "Jack, keep your mother safe" Optimus ordered. Jack listened, helping his mother over the railing.

Optimus went to lower himself. "Optimus!" Jack called his name, making him look back. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disobeyed you; I shouldn't have said that stuff to you. You...you're family" He managed. Optimus's polymer cheeks lifted under his eyes, a hidden smile behind the face plate. "Thank you for saying that Jack, You are my family too" Optimus said with his powerful voice. Jack jogged off with his mom, looking back at Prime.

Optimus lowered himself from his tip toes and crouched down under the bridge. Arcee activated her blaster cannons and waited to make a stand. Optimus placed his palm on them, lowering the blasters.

"Not on humans. All we can do is flee and wait until the heat cools off" Arcee nodded unwillingly and sighed as she stood next to the crouched leader, waiting for Ironhide.

"Optimus, I'm sorry...about earlier" she said quietly.

"You completely disobeyed me" He said glancing down at her. She stroked her upper arm as he looked down.

"But..." Optimus broke the silence. "It is reassuring to know that you would do anything for your partner" she gently smiled at the disappointed leader. At least he wasn't as angry, and would calm down. "We don't harm humans Arcee, because freedom is everyone's right"

"Even if they took it from June and Jack?" she shrugged.

"They are a young species Arcee. A lot to learn lies ahead of them"

"Well...I am sorry Optimus"

"As am I" He said gently, looking at her. She smiled back.

Ironhide reappeared, jumping the pickup down into the channel and skidding over to them, helicopters growing louder. Ironhide transformed as Arcee walked over to them.

"What's the plan?" Arcee asked the leader.

"Transform and roll out. Split up and disappear into Jasper, it won't be easy to pursue all three of us if we aren't together. Ironhide, do you understand?" Optimus asked.

"Yes sir" He nodded.

Optimus stood up and went to transform.

"I will see you two back at base. Stay safe" He transformed and headed back down the channel towards the exit. Arcee sighed before transforming and spinning around, going in a different direction. Ironhide cracked his knuckles and morphed back into the pickup truck, driving back up the channel wall and through the already shattered fence.

...

Jack following June as they fled to safety. Against his better judgement, he left Arcee, but she could hold her own. Jack panted as he and his mother ran towards their home. It became evident that Sector Seven weren't interested in them, only the Autobots, Jack was just a way to get the true prizes. The moon was arched in the sky above them, illuminating Jasper in soft lunar light.

"I cannot believe you Jackson Darby" She hissed.

"What? Why can't you just be happy that they're back, that Cee is back?"

"You went to London Jack! You got involved with a fight that could have seen you killed! What if Arcee couldn't protect you huh?"

Jack didn't have an answer, he just looked down.

"How long?" She bluntly asked.

"How long what?"

"Have they been back?"

Jack sighed as he stroked the back of his neck. "Couple of months" She huffed and walked onwards.

"Why couldn't you trust me, to tell me?"

"Not my choice. Optimus didn't want you getting involved or hurt" He told her as he tried to keep up.

"But my son is okay to endanger? Prime or not, I'll give him a piece of my mind" She snarled.

"I am not a kid anymore, when are you going to realize that!"

"I do Jack!" She shouted, swinging around and stopping. "I do realize you aren't a teen anymore, you're a man, you can make your own decisions. But I am your mother, and you can't make me stop worrying or caring about you" Jack sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I know mom, and I appreciate it, I do! But...it just gets a bit much. I mean you use to always drop by the base and find ways to embarrass me...in front of my friends"

_In front of Cee as well._

"So what, I can't see the Autobots?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, you just don't need to embarrass me all the time, the hugs, the lunches, the interrogating Arcee to make sure she isn't endangering me. I...I" She listened to him, lowering her defensive stature. "I...I've grown up mom"

June didn't answer; she simply turned and walked onwards, knowing he was right. Jack raised a fist to the sky.

"Why! Why are moms so difficult?" He whispered under his breath. After venting he went and caught up with her.

...

Optimus parked up in a trucker stop, alongside other rigs and huge trucks. The red beefy military truck stopped and the headlights dissipated. Optimus glanced over in his wing mirror at a long nose Peterbilt truck. Chrome exhausts, red and blue color scheme with vibrant red and blue flames to match. Optimus sighed.

"Maybe another time" He shrugged the mirrors and watched from the dark as the helicopters circled Jasper.

Meanwhile Ironhide drove into a petrol station, parking by one the hoses and blinking his headlights down to a dull glow. The red pickup sat silently as SUV's raced past.

"Whew. Too close. Optimus, its Ironhide. Are you safe?"

"Yes old friend I am. Have you heard from Arcee?"

"No...you?"

"No. And that's what worries me"


	12. Chapter 12: The thin line

Arcee raced through the once quiet night streets of Jasper. SUV's and helicopters gave up chasing Optimus and Ironhide, focusing on Arcee. A small motorcycle was an easy target to capture, as appose to two massive trucks. Simmons sat in one of the pursuing SUVs as they gained on her.

"Sir, she's pulling ahead! What do you want us to do?" The agent that was driving asked. Simmons chuckled gently.

"No, she's going exactly the way we need her to" He smirked.

Just ahead, hidden behind a wall was a squad of Sector Seven operatives. One of them had a rolled up strip and was ready to throw it out into the road, the rumble of a speeding motorcycle getting louder.

"Sir, awaiting orders"

Simmons nodded to himself as he answered. "Throw out the spike strip" He lowered his finger from his earpiece and leaned back in his seat. "Love my job" He smirked.

The man behind the wall looked at the road and saw it slowly lighting up from nearing headlights. He threw the strip out and it uncoiled, sliding along the road with sharp spikes pointing upwards. Arcee saw the sharpened spikes and tried to avoid them, but it was all too late. Her tires burst and she screamed in agony as she skidded on rims, sparks flying before she transformed and rolled along the ground in pain and exhaustion.

By the time she shook it off and tried to get up from her injured legs, the burst tire rubber hanging from her shins, the soldiers were already in the street, throwing cables over her and pinning her down. She tried to get free, but she couldn't. Her wrist blades cut at the tough cables, but only scraped them. The cables tightened and constricted. Before long she was pinned and unable to escape, no matter how loud she roared and tried to push up from the ground. The helicopters hovered, shining search lights down on her, in the middle of a empty night lit intersection.

The SUVs parked in a circle and the agents stood around her. She groaned and looked up, eyes locking with a smirking Simmons.

"You almost got away. Almost" he pat his hand on her head with a metal thud. "Get the N.B.E ready for transportation" Simmons ordered as he walked away from the despair filled eyes of Arcee. Other soldiers walked over using freezing clouds of liquid nitrogen to contain her. Arcee had been captured by Sector Seven.

...

Several hours had passed since Optimus and Ironhide escaped Sector Seven. They returned to the Autobot base, only to find everyone but Arcee. Ratchet had been awake for around an hour, working on Teletraan one.

"Optimus, I heard about your...Where's Arcee?" Ratchet asked, looking up at them.

"She's not been here?" Ironhide asked. Optimus looked around the room at the other bots, Jazz and Bumblebee lowering their shoulders as they all realized what had happened. Arcee had been captured, though none of them could bring themselves to say it.

"So this Sector Seven has Cee, now what?" Bumblebee asked. Optimus sighed and rubbed his eyes with his finger and thumb.

"We cannot free Arcee without harming the humans" Optimus exhaled. Jazz's eyes widened.

"But it's not right! She-"

"We will let them leave. And discuss a means of appropriate rescue"

Bulkhead walked over, rubbing his head. "How's Jack handling this? Primus knows how good of friends they've become"

"He doesn't know. Prime sent him home to protect his mother" Ironhide chipped in, releasing his arm cannons to relieve the weight on his arms. The cannons dropped with a clang. Jazz greeted him with a nod.

"Well at least you guys are okay. But Arcee needs us, and now" Jazz said.

"What?" a voice asked. All the bots turned to see a small human in the doorway to the hanger, propping a pushbike against the door. Jack walked in, concerned from what he'd heard.

"Hey Jack?" Ironhide rubbed the back of his neck. "Get your mom home safe?" He nervously chuckled.

"Yeah she's fine. Where's Cee guys?" He was looking past them to see if she was here at all. She wasn't.

"Where's Arcee?" He asked again with a gulp as he looked at their faces. Optimus walked over, kneeling down to him.

"Jack. We believe that Arcee has been abducted by Sector Seven" He said in his low toned voice. Jack staggered slightly.

_Oh no. God no. Cee, my Cee..._

Jack looked at the floor, trying to find the words, only small sounds and words emitting.

"Err...she...no, she...how cou..."

Optimus rested his gigantic hand on Jack's shoulder, only a finger could rest but the thought was all that counted.

"Jack, we will attempt to find her, but... I cannot be callus enough to endanger the lives of the humans" Jack pushed Optimus's finger from his shoulder.

"So what, we just wait? If we wait till they're done with her, there won't be an Arcee left to save!" Jack looked away from Prime, crossing his arms. "Sometimes I wonder, if you really care about her. You'd rather not hurt Sector Seven than try and save her!"

"Jack, there is a thin line, between fighting, and hurting"

Jack looked up at him.

"Fighting is an act of violence, conflict. I fight all with the sole purpose of doing so to protect and defend those who cannot fight. That gives _those_ actions purpose. To hurt someone, is to do so with intention on them, not for a cause. I have never gone out to hurt anyone"

"Not even Megatron?"

"No. I fight him, to protect the innocent. Jack, if you step over the thin line between fighting and hurting, then you are also stepping across the line between good and evil, right and wrong...Autobot and Decepticon" Optimus explained. Jack looked at him and knew he was right. It's a slippery slope to evil when you go out to purposefully harm someone, not for a cause.

"Alright Optimus, you made your point, and I know you're right. But...Prime it's Arcee. I need to save her...besides Mom and you guys...she's all I got" He stammered, trying to hide how much she truly meant. She meant more to him than his Mother and the Autobots. She was his everything, and if he saves her, he can tell her.

"I understand you and Arcee are the closest of allies, friends. But we still have no idea where to find them, even if we considered a rescue" Jack ignored Prime's use of the word considered.

"Well what about Teletraan one? Can't he...she...it?" Jack fumbled. "Anyway, can't it track her, like you guys? I mean that's how you tested its ability to activate Ground Bridges so you can all go on mission's right?"

"Jack, you are correct that Teletraan one does have a homing sensor on us all, so if we cannot contact Ratchet or anyone else, we can contact Teletraan, and request a bridge to safety. But Sector Seven may have taken her somewhere where the scanner cannot pick her up her Beacon"

"Well isn't it worth trying at least?" Jack begged. Optimus looked at his fearful eyes.

"Ratchet, begin a continent wide scan for Arcee's beacon" the medical officer nodded, immediately activating Teletraan ones scanner.

_Tracking...tracking...tracking...no data available. Autobot Arcee is untraceable. _Teletraan one announced.

Jack sighed and ran his hands down his face in defeat. "Scrap...okay think. They've taken her somewhere where the public cannot see her, that's why they came in the dead of night. So where would they go...to hide an Alien robot?" Optimus stood up as Jack thought.

"Ratchet, you designed the beacon scanner for Teletraan one. How far can the scanner penetrate before it fails?" Optimus asked the doctor as he tampered with the computer.

"Not sure, depends on what density or material we're talking about: Earth, stone concrete?" Ratchet gave insight.

"Concrete..." Jack suddenly perked up. "I remember learning something about Chernobyl at school...it was years ago but I think I remember...The reactor, it gave off heavy gamma radiation. Only three materials can contain it...gah I can't remember!"

"Concrete, lead and steel" Ratchet said, helping Jack with his superior knowledge.

"They used Concrete and steel to contain the radiation and protect the town. When it blew, the concrete collapsed...and the radiation spread" Jack smiled to himself as his mouth run away with itself, piecing together this information. He placed his hands forward as he continued to wring out his brain for this information.

"Could it be possible for steel or lead to hide beacon signals?" Jack asked the doctor. Ratchet rubbed his chin.

"It's possible. I wouldn't hold my receptors though"

"Ratchet, begin a scan for areas with thick lead or steel deposits" Optimus ordered, the team walking over to the computer.

_Scanning...scanning...scanning. Only two areas with heavy lead or steel deposits within Sector Seven jurisdiction or radius._

"Optimus, I can use the spare Energon cubes we have lying around to boost Teletraan's scanning abilities, possibly to punch through these materials" Ratchet explained. Optimus nodded gently. He looked at Jack. Though those Energon cubes were being saved for repairing Autobots and upgrading weapons, finding Arcee was all that mattered.

"Do it. We can always find more Energon, we cannot find another Arcee" He said. Jack smiled gently. Maybe they could still find her. Ratchet immediately went to work, with the help of Jazz and Bumblebee, moving Energon blocks into Teletraan one's core processor. The machine hummed and drained the cubes, forming an electrical liquid that was absorbed by the computer. After three more cubes, Teletraan one beeped.

_Power now at optimum levels for deep scan. Fluctuation of 100% power._

"Teletraan, scan those steel and lead sites again, this time for Arcee" Ratchet ordered the computer, stroking his hands on the back of his head with a sigh as he hoped for the best outcome. Jack mimicked him, hands on the back of his head as he exhaled.

_Scanning...complete: No detection of Arcee to a depth of four thousand feet under sea level and ground level. _

"Well, that leaves concrete, and almost everything on earth is build with that stuff" Bulkhead sighed.

"Yes Bulkhead, but to hold off radiation they would need vast amounts of it, and to hide an Autobot beacon they'd need sheer tonnes thick of it. Now what would humans have, that is that thick of concrete?" Ratchet snipped.

"Ratchet, can you scan for concrete, lots of it in one area?" Jack asked, pleading something would help find her. Ratchet nodded to him as he looked back at the computer, beginning the final hope, the final scan. Everyone held their breaths. If this scan didn't work, then there would be no chance of finding her in time.

Optimus stood tall, watching the screen as it scanned the entire continent, his face stern and serious. Jazz had his hands on his knees, back hunched as he peered up at the screen. Bumblebee was arms crossed and his head shaking to himself, eyes closed. Bulkhead was muttering what looked like "Please" to himself repeatedly. Ratchet was tapping his hands on his thighs as he looked at the screen, unable to see his expression from Jack's position and flare from Teletraan's screen. Ironhide was stood against the wall, wringing his hands together.

But then the voice they were all waiting for spoke.

_Scanning...complete. Autobot Arcee, has been located._

Everyone sighed with pure relief, cheering and smiling; even Optimus hunched his back with a deep exhale and a smile, hands on his knees.

Jack ran his fingers through his hair in sheer disbelief that they'd found her. But for every win, there was an equal set back.

"Okay Teletraan, where is she?" Jack asked with a smile.

_Location: Hoover dam, Nevada. _

That was all Teletraan said, but it caused Jack's blood to run cold. Hoover dam, they had an endgame location. It wasn't far, still in Nevada and they were probably getting ready to slice her open, like Mech.

"Optimus, we can save her, we go now, and she'll still be fine!" Jack asked, pointing to the bridge controls.

"Jack, we can not endanger any human lives, including your own"

"Why are we fighting to protect the humans? They are violent and primitive" Ironhide growled suddenly clearing his throat as he saw Jack. "No offense"

"None taken, it's true. Why Optimus? Why are you protecting us?" Jack asked him, angry at his constant chanting of humanity protection.

"Because we are not so different" He knelt down to Jack. "Jack, you are part of a young species, you still have much to learn. But I see goodness in you, in all of you. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings"

"So why not Arcee's" Jack snarled. Optimus sighed, and knew Jack was right.

"Optimus... Please" Jack begged the leader, and knew he wanted his family at full strength too.

"Jazz, Bumblebee. You will go with Jack to Hoover dam" Optimus groaned. Jazz and Bumblebee shot up, back's straight.

"what? Us?" Bumblebee asked, his blue eyes whirring.

"You are the smallest of us, and can infiltrate the base if necessary" Optimus ordered, standing up to face them.

"But Prime...what if we...Arcee's condition" Jazz stammered. Optimus walked over to him, hand on his shoulder.

"Jazz, you are my first lieutenant, and one of my closest friends. I know you can get this done" Optimus nodded to him, Jazz smiling back.

"Ratchet send a ground bridge to Hoover dam"

"No good Optimus. I can't drop a bridge there. The dam is too thin to plot a ground bridge, and the energy being generated there is manipulating the technology. Plus the Decepticons could possibly track a bridge opening there...and hurt the innocent" Ratchet informed them, shielding his face from sparks. "Cursed bridge, If only I had some Cybertronian parts to work with, a circuit board at least!" the grumpy Doctor hissed. Jack sighed, hands on his head.

"Well now what?" How do we get there?"

"Old fashioned way Jack" Bumblebee smirked, transforming into his alt mode. "By car"

Jack walked over to the black and yellow muscle car. He stopped, looking up at the armor platform he had. He walked past Bumblebee to it, staring at the scratched armor.

"Oh yes, I didn't have time to repair it, working on Teletraan one...has been testing" Ratchet grumbled as he pulled at wires and circuitry. Jack stroked his hand over the Autobot logo on the chest plate.

"It'll do. Thanks for making it for me Ratchet. I know I don't say it enough but...thanks. For everything" Ratchet mumbled to himself as he worked.

"mmm yes, yes" Under his voice. Jack pressed the Autobot logo in and the suit hummed, opening up. Jack turned around, stepping into it, facing away from the suit. One foot staggered into the boot and the other foot found its way to the opposite boot. Jack slid his arms in the sleeves and soon the armor closed, sealing him inside it, sparks spitting a little from the scraping damaged suit. He stepped off of the kiosk, clanging heavy feet down the steps towards the two awaiting cars.

"Jack" Optimus said. "Be careful"

"Yes sir" He said with a stern, grown up look. It was at that moment, Optimus knew he had truly grown up. He wasn't an awkward teen anymore. He was part of his team...his family. If Jack was Cybertronian, Optimus may have even found himself being told to pass the Matrix of Leadership onto him one day.

Jack opened Bumblebee's door and sat inside, closing it with a thud. Optimus stepped aside, sighing at this situation.

"Don't worry Optimus. He's a good kid, plus the Decepticons have no reason to look for Hoover dam, at least not tonight. It'll be fine" Bulkhead reassured him, and himself.

"I know Bulkhead my dear friend. But if the Decepticons track them there, I fear they will find a reason to go" He said as he watched them leave through the Hanger door.

"That's what your worried about isn't it? Not us harming the humans, the Decepticons!" Bulkhead pieced together.

"Bulkhead, on second thought, I want you to join them, just to be safe. Keep vehicular mode at all times unless a situation arises in which you require...force" Optimus solemnly explained. Bulkhead nodded, patting Prime's back as he transformed, and went with them.

"Guy's wait up!" Bulk shouted as the green truck raced after them. Optimus sighed deeply and looked back at Ironhide and Ratchet.

"Jack is brave, I'll give him that. Not many bots I know who'd go up against an armed organization for a teammate. Troubles me to think a human can be braver than a bot" Ironhide exhaled, leaning against the hanger wall. Ratchet smiled slightly as he worked, only sparks from his tools lighting up the smile.

"He is"


	13. Chapter 13: Hoover dam

Soundwave stood emitting the speeding location of Jazz and Bumblebee, with Bulkhead behind.

"We get to Hoover dam, we free Cee, we leave" Jack said, recorded by Soundwave's airborne teammate Laserbeak. Starscream and Blackout watch the recording play. Starscream chuckled. Skywarp sat on a box of crates, listening to his brother laughing made him sick. He shook his head and snarled, sharpening his blade on his metal arm, scraping and sliding.

"So, Arcee is at Hoover dam?" Blackout growled. "Hunters, we have a location. Barricade, Skywarp, I believe you will enjoy seeing who is going to be there" Blackout stepped aside, showing the aerial footage of Jazz, Bumblebee and Bulkhead.

"A chance to kill both the traitors who left Prowl to die! Wonderful" Barricade hissed. Skywarp smirked at the sight of Jazz.

"Oh this will be good" Skywarp snarled, shoving past Starscream.

"Ow, watch it..brother" He hissed as the black and purple hunter walked towards the airfield aloft the Nemesis roof. Barricade cracked his neck from side to side as Soundwave opened a ground bridge, leading him just outside of the Hoover dam. He stepped through. Blackout crackled his knuckles and made haste towards the roof with Skywarp.

Starscream rubbed his chin. "There is something not right about all this. This...dam, this Sector Seven group wanting Cybertronians...I feel as though they have something else, hidden in that dam. Soundwave, I will be going to the dam as well. I'm itching for some combat. Maybe I can take a few of Arcee's fingers for what she did to my appendage!" He growled, also making his way to the roof.

"Shockwave, you are in command while I am gone" He leaned over to the giant purple Cyclops. "Oh and keep an eye on Blitzwing. He makes my servos crawl" He shivered. Shockwave looked up as Starscream left the Nemesis. Blitzwing was stood, sharpening the long blade, carved from Silverbolt's corpse.

"Get in the way of Blitzwing? I find that to be most illogical" Shockwave said to Soundwave. He simply nodded and looked back at the sinister beige and purple, giant triple-changer.

...

Jazz and Bumblebee reached a sign and stopped, swerving in the road. The amber sun rose, the dawn of a new day signaled. Jack looked at the sign.

_Hoover dam_

Jack clambered out of Bumblebee, constricted slightly by his body armor. He stood tall as he walked up the slight hill, obscuring the view. As he reached the top, warm morning winds blasted his face he looked out over Hoover dam, the massive curved structure below. The red stone desert that surrounded the beige concrete mega structure filled the horizon. The heaving sound of heavy water spilling roared. Jack looked across at the dam. He saw the frothing water exiting the ports on the lower dam, filing out the water from the other full side of Arcee blue water. Jack sighed, lowering his head. His armor disconnected, morphing up into the cube on the back of his clothes, still the same from what he had on in the under suit in London. A grey Hoodie, connected to dark grey jeans and white trainers. The under suit was still at the base, ripped and torn from London. He didn't need it, not now.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his silver flip phone. He flicked it open, a photograph of Arcee and Jack together, smiling, heads pressed close together to be in frame as his background. He saw a drop of water splash on the phone. He shook his head, wiping under his eyes, the same way someone checks for blood when hurt. He was so surprised and shocked to cry and not feel it. It just poured out like blood, salty tears on his face.

"Cee, please be alive. I love you" he whispered to himself with an emotional sniffle. He heard the faint sound of a T-cog transforming, followed by two more. He quickly wiped his eyes dry and exhaled through his lips. Footsteps sounded as the three Autobots walked up behind him. Jazz crouched. He shoved the phone back in his pocket.

"So that's Hoover dam. Cee's in there huh?" he asked Jack. Jack nodded.

"So the computer says. I'll go in alone" Jack snarled. All the Autobots shook their heads.

"Oh no! Jack your only-"

"Human? Yeah I know! And for once that is an advantage. I can sneak in undetected. Trust me I did my fair share of sneaking in Chernobyl. I am so sick of being doubted, sick of being undermined, because of my age, my species. I can do this" Jack hissed.

"I've watched Arcee, you guys for years. I picked things up. I've got my armor as protection, and I'll set my blaster to stun so no humans are killed, just knocked out. You guys wait here. I'll keep in radio contact, and tell you everything that happens"

"Jack..." Bulkhead said.

"I don't care if you don't like it. I need to save her. I need to put things right. The thin line needs to thicken."

Jazz nodded. "Stay safe, and in radio contact. We'll be here, as backup. Don't do anything stupid" Bulkhead and Bee nodded, ducking down behind the hill. Jack sighed, his heart thumping. He was about to break into a secret government headquarters, alone. He swallowed his quench of fear and exhaled bravery. He felt a metal coil run down his sleeve against his skin and the blaster morphed out of the sleeve around his wrist, making it useable in his current clothing condition. He raised his left hand and pulled his hood up over his head, for no more benefit than to mask his face and keep the morning sun from his eyes.

"Thanks guys. I'll be back soon, with Cee...I hope" He whispered, walking down the long tarmac road to the dam.

After what felt like an hour's walk he neared the checkpoint gate to the curved dam. It looks so much smaller and shorter from all the way up the road. He hid his blaster cannon in his Hoodie pocked and tugged his sleeve further down covering the exposed section. Rotors clapped and he ignored a helicopter flying over, the gigantic shadow racing overhead. Soon the rotors slapping against the air ceased and Jack swung himself under the gate. On the other side of the dam was a lone parked SUV, a man walking over with a rifle in his grasp. Jack kept walking when a voice shouted.

"Hey! You aren't authorized to be-"

"Jack quickly whipped his blaster up charging the blue glowing barrel and firing, at a human for the first time. The stubby barrel back lashed and the blue bolt stunned the soldier, sending him hurtling backwards and skidding across the road. His gun skipped along the road as he fell, Jack took a moment to take in his first gunshot at a soldier. He shook his head and carried on, walking towards the small block of an elevator, leading into the dam.

Ash flicked up from Jack's trainers, only little thin piles of it, not getting his attention. Two soldiers stepped out from behind one of the elevator blocks. Jack aimed up, firing at one, knocking him down and firing again, just clipping the shoulder of the other guard. He let out another burst at the soldier, stunning him twice as much, just to be thorough. Jack stepped over them, walking into the elevator and sliding the gridded gate across. He hit the bottom floor button,

_Start from the ground, work up. If I was going to capture an alien, I would not put them on the first floor. Deep as you can get em._

Jack raised an eyebrow at the name of the bottom floor: _Generators and N.B.E One chamber._

"N.B.E One?" Jack whispered to himself as the elevator shuddered, his stomach flipping as the descent began. He pulled the nose of the hood down further, covering his eyes. He checked the blaster that replaced his right hand, peaking out of the sleeve, and glowing blue at the barrel. He sighed and shook his head.

"Five odd years ago, I was a teen working at a drive through. Now I'm infiltrating a top secret Government base to save the alien robot I love...which has actually been all too easy to get in to. Where are all the guards?" Jack asked himself.

...

Ten minutes earlier, outside the dam, on the opposite side of the canyon, a black police mustang sat and waited. He opened his grill and a small robot hopped out. The little silver being started running to the dam, guns on its wrists as it ran.

"Thanks again for letting me borrow Frenzy, Soundwave" Barricade chuckled. Silence responded. "Don't know what sort of response I expected to be honest, strong silent type Right?" another silent answer. "Yeah...okay"

Meanwhile Frenzy began running to the dam, hopping the right side of the dam's gate and aiming at ten Sector Seven guards. He fired the automated Decepticon guns, turning whoever it hit to a cloud of red ash. The ash floated off in the battering winds. Soldiers shouted and fired suppressed weapons, Frenzy tucking and rolling; bouncing off of walls as the hyper human sized Decepticon killed two more, turning men to dead ash, people with families, spending twenty or thirty years of their lives getting to this point, only to perish in an instant. Decepticons were not fair.

After finally killing all the guards, leaving no bodies or evidence, Frenzy walked into the elevator. He stared at the buttons and hit them all, chattering as he did.

"Frenzy, find and locate the Autobot Arcee, a gift for Blackout. But first, deactivate the generators. We need them down so Soundwave can generate a bridge for us" Barricade ordered as frenzy descended the lift.

A Black SUV raced past the parked police mustang and through the checkpoint gate, parking on the bridge.

"Where the hell did our patrol squad go? You three, stay here. I'll head inside and find out where they are! Slackers" The guard shouted as they slammed the car doors, one of them disappearing into an elevator.

Frenzy headed down to the generators and the unknown N.B.E One chamber. Frenzy clicked his neck from side to side readying his arm blasters.

Barricade sat watching the dam as a man in a grey Hoodie approached the bridge. A huge Pave low raced overhead, over Barricade.

"Keep an eye on them Barricade. Hold your nerve" Blackout said in the comm. the grey hooded man came swinging under the gate and firing a blue blaster at one of the guards. He did the same to two more guards, and made his way into the elevator.

"Frenzy, it would appear that the boy is here for Arcee. Kill him for us would you?" Barricade chuckled with an engine rev.

"Of course...I'd love to" Frenzy sinisterly cackled with an insane neck twitch, stepping out of the elevator snapping one guards neck and shooting the other, turning him to ash.

...

Jack stood in the lift, seeing it near the bottom floor. He sighed deeply and grabbed his phone again, pulling it from his pocket and flipping it open. He opened the photo folder and stood flicking through the array of photos of Arcee. Every photo made him smile and chuckle under his breath slightly.

"I promise I'll save you Cee. And I'll tell you how I really feel about you. Damn it why can't I give you a happy life? Why do I keep endangering myself and making you go through the fear of losing me like your last partners? I don't deserve someone like you" He finished as he put the phone away, the elevator chugging as it neared the bottom floor. He bounced on the spot, a deep exhale and flicking his wrist to get their clammy state under control.

_N.B.E One chamber and Generators._

Jack ignored the automated voice and slid the gate across stepping out, only to clip his shoe on a dead guard, his spinal column snapped and head to the side, bruising on the back of his neck from the blood leaking sever. Jack staggered back, realizing he wasn't alone. The piles of small ash he'd seen were from a Decepticon.

"Guys keep your eyes open, possible Decepticon threat. There's a dead guard here, and I'm guessing more ahead.

"This changes things. Jack, any way you can get us down there? Is there any space?" Bulkhead asked. Jack looked around. The generators were gigantic and whirring very loudly, causing him to shout so they could hear.

"Err yeah! It's huge! Err" Jack saw another lift to the far left of him. a large cargo elevator, big enough for their vehicular forms to park in and be lowered down to this floor.

"Hey guys, I've found a cargo lift! Maybe I can send it up and you guys can get to me!" Jack shouted jogging over to the distant lift, his feet clapping on the floor. He ran past the first huge circular base generator and neared the last one of four.

"Sounds good Jack, we'll get to the lift now" Bumblebee said, several transformations sounding.

"Great! See you in a-"

Suddenly a mechanical arm swung out, swiping along Jack's chest, throwing him backwards off his feet. He slammed against the floor, Frenzy walking out to face him with a cackle.

"This is the great Arcee's teammate? Well she'll be losing another partner today, at the hands of me!" Frenzy roared, aiming at Jack's head. Suddenly Jack rolled over, dodging the shot and his armor forming around him. By the time he was back on his feet he was encased in the full body armor, the helmet clicking and forming around his head. Frenzy tilted his head.

"Very nice. Shame I'll have to break it more than it already is" Frenzy ran at him, very nimble and dangerous, kicking and swiping at Jack, scratching and damaging the suit further. Jack staggered back from every scraping attack of claws. Jack managed to get several armored punches in, staggering Frenzy back, but the con just kept coming, much stronger and faster than Jack. He leaped up, both of his feet kicking Jack across the room, slamming against the cargo lift controls, sending it whirring upwards. Jack had no escape now.

Frenzy walked towards him, extending his arm cannon. Jack moaned as he sat up, Frenzy slamming his foot down on Jack's chest.

"All too easy" he gargled.

Suddenly a shotgun shell cracked against Frenzy's back. Jack peered up at Seymour Simmons as he fired the Spas shotgun at the Decepticon. Frenzy fired but soon had to retreat, running off deeper into the base. Simmons, checking the coast was clear walked over to Jack. He offered his hand but Jack stood up by himself, the suit sparking and whirring. Then the suit failed, the armor beeping a warning on his HUD as it disconnected and folded up onto his back.

_Power has been triaged to Blaster cannon. 45%. _Teletraan Ones male voice stated.

"Who was that?" Simmons asked, still on guard.

"Never mind that, where she is...Where is she!" Jack roared with an emotional croak of his voice, praying they hadn't hurt her. Simmons chuckled.

"You've broken into a government facility, and endangered the N.B.E One chamber, so I think I'll be asking the questions, not you young man!" Simmons shouted. Jack aimed the blaster at him, his face stern and ready.

The cargo elevator returned all three vehicles on it. The gate lifted with an alarm blare and they drove out, transforming in the wide open. Bulkhead stretched his arm and wrecking ball, Jazz extending his wrist cannons along with Bee.

"Gimme that" Jazz used his magnetized hand and pulled the shotgun from Simmons's hands.

"Heard there was a Con...Jack, what are you doing?" They noticed Jack still aiming the cannon at Simmons. Jack's eyes hadn't faltered off of him.

"Where is she?" he stammered, glassy eyes. Simmons simply smirked. Jack, using his left hand pulled on a lever and the gun hummed.

"This isn't on stun anymore, so you're gonna tell me where she is!" He said, pressing the barrel against Simmons head.

"Yo, Jack this ain't you. Lower the gun, come on" Jazz whispered to him, but he was too fixed on Simmons, and how he felt he still had all the power. Jack shook his head, a stray tear rolling down his face.

"Please! Where is Arcee?" He begged now, making Simmons smile a bit more.

"You think your tough with your big alien friends here. Come with me. I'll show you my alien friend" Simmons lowered his arms and began walking away. The team looked at one another, Bulk shrugging. Jack was already behind him, following him, blaster raised and still off of stun, hoping Frenzy wouldn't come back.

Simmons reached a gigantic sealed door, and began entering some codes.

"What you are about to see is totally classified" Jack pressed the barrel further against his head.

"This had better be Arcee" He snarled. Simmons entered the code and the door blared alarms, slowly rising. Jazz and Bumblebee stood next to one another, Bulk behind them. they walked into the room.

"This...is N.B.E One" Simmons shouted. All of the bots and Jack dropped their jaws in shock.

At the end of the gigantic room, was Megatron, stood against the wall, his carcass strapped to the wall by shackles the size of small cars. Bumblebee stepped forward, shaking his head.

"No...no,no,no. I killed you" He stammered as he gazed upon the huge stab wound in Megatron's torso.

"I heard about that. Bumblebee the Mega-slayer" Jazz said, stretching hands out, only to clear his throat and lower them at Bumblebee's reaction. Bulkhead was stood shaking his head. He glared up at the Decepticon leader.

"Is he still dead? Where did you even find him, he fell from orbit!"

"We found old N.B.E One here at the bottom of the ocean, four years ago. He was incredibly damaged and...Well non-functioning. We brought him here, a place where the walls are so thick, no alien signal can get in. Or out" Simmons explained, hands still raised as Jack held the gun to his back.

"Also explains why they brought Arcee here. Only way we found her was by overloading the scanner and specifically searching concrete" Jazz explained as he swung his arms by his side. Bumblebee stepped forward.

"Can he...see us?" He asked.

"No. He is in complete neural lock-down. We've been using him as a power source, and study for advances in weapons technology" Simmons explained.

"Why do you keep calling him N.B.E One? His name is Megatron, leader of the Decepticons" Bulkhead snarled.

"Non Biological Extra-terrestrials; N.B.E for short, the One is because he was the first one we got"

"So where is N.B.E two? Where is Arcee? Unless you've got other cons or bots locked up in here" Jack snarled. Simmons chuckled.

"Wait, is that what I think it is!" Bumblebee interrupted as he saw men working on a huge slither of Dark Energon. Sparks flew as they tried carving at it.

"We found it decades ago in the heart of a volcano. Haven't been able to discover what it is though"

"A mistake! You need to get that shard as far away from Megatron as you can!" Bulkhead ordered. Simmons sighed.

"We don't know what is, and to be honest it does nothing" He sighed.

"You don't get it do you? If that comes in contact with old lord of destruction over here, he will awaken. And you've been keeping them in the same damn basement" Jack snarled at the agent.

Bulkhead turned, trying to reach Optimus on his communicator.

"Bah, just static"

"Bulk go up top and tell Optimus who we found" Jazz said. Bulkhead nodded, walking to the cargo lift.

Simmons turned around to Jacks barrel.

"If this was so classified, why show us?" Jack asked, Jazz interested too. Bumblebee was still staring at the lifeless Megatron.

"I was wondering if your...friends here could share some insight on this technology. Tell you what. You give us some of your weapons to study, and we'll give you back the blue one"

"Oh I have a better Idea" Jack hissed, barrel pressed against Simmons head "You give us Arcee now, or I blow your head into atoms, then you can really get a feel for their technology"

Simmons gulped.

"How does that sound?"


	14. Chapter 14: Revival and rescue

Outside of the base, two Vehicons pulled to a stop, and several armed humans donning the Decepticon logo stepped out.

"If what Soundwave heard from the big Bulkhead is true, then Lord Megatron is here!" Starscream exhaled over the communicator. The armed Decepti-Sapiens began walking to the elevator. They all filed in, heading down to the bottom floor, tracking Frenzy's signal.

"For our lord Megatron!" They shouted, cocking their Vehicon rifles.

Bulkhead stood by the dam, facing the sunrise as he talked to Optimus, unawares of the Decepticon infiltration.

"Optimus. It's Megatron. We have found Megatron"

At the Autobot base Optimus sighed and lowered his head.

"Understood Bulkhead, get Arcee and retreat; and please hurry, for no doubt the Decepticons are inbound"

"Will do Optimus"

Suddenly loud Helicopter blades slicing the air sounded and Bulkhead grimaced at the sight of Blackout's pave low, transforming and landing up the road from him.

"I'll have to call you back" Bulkhead hung up.

"Bulkhead, long time no see. I must say, thank you for stepping outside for that call, really made you easy to track" Blackout said as he waltzed over.

"Scrap" He snarled as Bulkhead activated his arm cannon and wrecking ball fist.

...

Meanwhile inside the base, Frenzy moved down, sneaking past the Autobots and the agent. He sneaked quietly by the dazed Bumblebee and clambered up the side of the podium towards the dark Energon shard. Men tried slicing and carving it, only damaging their tools.

Frenzy stayed hidden under the podium, waiting for his chance.

Jack was getting more aggressive to Simmons.

"Take me to her"

"I can't so that" He shook his head.

Suddenly Simmons looked over Jack's shoulder, seeing the Decepti-Sapiens walk out of the elevator. Jazz looked over his shoulder.

"Human cons!" He shouted, using his stun blasters. The Decepti-Sapiens had no such quarrel and fired lived energy at Jazz. He rolled out of the way. Simmons took this chance to run.

"Jack!" Bumblebee shouted from cover. "We'll hold em off; you get after him before he hurts Arcee. Go!" Jack didn't need to be told twice, he ran after Simmons, cannon raised.

Jazz and Bumblebee fired at the humans, blowing them off their feet and stunning them if they stepped out from behind the generators.

Frenzy took his chance amidst the chaos, clambering up onto the deck and killing the scientists, ash falling where their bodies once stood. He looked upon the dark Energon crystal.

"Lord Megatron shall be reborn!"

...

Outside the base, a roar of jet engines sounded and Starscream flew under one of the bridges, arms splaying out from the Jet and grabbing the bridge, flinging himself upwards. His slender feet landed on the bridge and he chuckled as he raised his arm, firing one of his red missiles at the electricity farm, exploding in a fireball and cutting the power to the dam. All the generators fell silent, and the only sounds to be heard were shouting and gunfire between Sapiens and bots.

On the dam, Blackout lashed and punched at Bulkhead, who simply ducked and swung under the titan's arms, smashing the wrecking ball against Blackout's stern face. Blackout staggered back, he regained his stature and roared, fists clenched. Bulkhead lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Blackout's waist in a tackle, lifting Blackout off the floor with a groan and slamming him down on his back with an earth shattering bang. He got up and smashed a wrecking ball punch across Blackout's jaw. Blackout spat energy and looked at him.

"Is that all you've got?" Blackout pressed his foot against Bulk's chest and pushed with all his might in one fast ferocious movement. Bulkhead flew off of him across the dam, hanging onto the ledge from the huge drop below. Blackout climbed to his feet with a sinister chuckle.

"All too easy" he smirked as he walked across the dam, resting his foot on Bulkheads hand, pressing down and twisting his heel. Bulkhead roared in agony.

...

Simmons ran through the hallways towards the chamber. Jack was in hot pursuit, staggering around the corner and sprinting after him. He just saw Simmons heal dart around the next corner. Jack huffed and panted as he sprinted.

He turned the next corner, hitting the wall and shaking his head as he ran into the open room. He heard Simmons shouting.

"Move the N.B.E to the cargo lift. The dam is under attack, and I'll be damned if we are going to lose all our research" Jack hid behind a crate at the sound of Sector Seven operatives moving and drilling. He readied his blaster to stun, for Optimus's sake and lunged around the corner with a deep breath, firing at one of the Guards stood atop a tarp draped object. He fell with a quiet thud. The other soldier aimed his pistol, a gunshot echoing. Jack ducked back behind the crate, covering his head, the first time he's been fired at by a human gun, it seemed more terrifying, maybe because he was raised to fear human guns and bullets. They were louder as well.

He hit his chest with a thump and the damaged suit triaged some of the power to wrap the suit around himself.

_Warning, suit life can only be sustained for thirty seconds._

Jack closed the helmet around his head and stepped out, taking the bullet to his arm with a metallic ping. It ricocheted off of him. Jack raised his cannon hitting the soldier with a stunning round. He flew off into the corner of the room. Jack looked around for Simmons, aiming. The suit was starting to fail, battery running low. Suddenly a hammer hit Jack into the chest with brute force and a battle cry. He fell across the floor, backing up as Simmons swung the hammer.

"I will not allow you to end all of my research! I have worked too hard to lose it all now!"

"Sector Seven is done! And so are you!" Jack roared as he rolled out of the way of the hammer cracking against the floor. He rolled once again as Jack missed it by inches. The suit failed, breaking apart and falling from his back into separate chunks of armor. Simmons smirked and laughed.

"No one to save you now!" the hammer clanging against the ground, inches from Jack's head. Jack saw out the blurry corner of his eye the tarp move and a metal bang sound as what sounded like thick metal snapping. Something was moving, but he couldn't see it with Simmons trying to kill him. He rolled aside but the hammer clipped his forehead, drawing blood. He shook it off, the fuzziness in his head tingling. Simmons paced to him, hammer raised.

Jack was still trying to avoid him when the hammer missed him by sheer inches. He kicked at the hammer, knocking it back. Simmons jumped on Jack, pressing the long sledge hammer handle bar along Jack's throat, pressing down, choking him. he could feel a knee on his abdomen and foot on his leg. Simmons pushed down on his throat. Jack coughed and tried to push the hammer up, but Simmons was too strong.

"I have worked my whole life to understanding these beings! You think old Megatron out there was the first, or your motorcycle? No, they've been here forever! Forever!" Simmons roared.

"He raised the hammer as Jack spluttered, exhausted.

"Please" Jack begged.

"I will have dominance with this technology! I will have dominance over Humanity! Imagine it! To rule all with an iron fist. Sector Seven was just the start, it was an idea. An idea of dominance, but sadly you won't live to see it"

The crazed, desperate man swung the hammer up over his head; eyes filled his chaos and fury. "You should have forgotten about her. Goodbye Ja-" He suddenly screamed and blue energy ripped through his chest. He dropped the hammer behind him with a clang on the floor. He clutched at his chest, dropping to his knees.

"I...was so close...we were...so close...domination" He fell forward with a lifeless thud, his legs kicking up slightly and dropping back down. No blood spread out since the wound cauterized from the scorching energy.

Simmons was dead. Jack was breathing heavily, shielding his face still. He looked around the room. The tarp was on the floor, and sat up from broken shackles was Arcee. She was covered in scuffs and scratches from there attempted experiments.

"Nobody hurts my partner" she snarled, blaster raised still. Jack lent his head back with a sigh of relief and smile. He stroked his bruised throat and sat up with a groan, limping to Arcee. He past the dead body of Simmons, and the hammer. Arcee had only managed to break one shackle.

"Cee...you're alive...my god you're alive" He said as he walked over to her. She smiled to him gently.

"Did they hurt you?" he asked as he looked over her scratches.

"Not as much as they'd like to think. Your old Arcee is tougher than she- ah- looks" she groaned at the touch of her side. She had several incision marks. Jack sighed as he stroked her free hand.

"I'm glad you killed him. Optimus won't be" Jack sighed.

"Right, let's get you out of these shackles"

"Jack, there's a control switch over by that conduit. You see it?" She groaned. Jack gazed around the room, every wall for it. He traced her finger as she pointed to a red lever on the wall. He limped over to it, grabbing it and pulling the lever down, with all his might. He groaned as the lever slowly moved and finally slammed down.

_Power failure, all shackles in Chamber two have been disabled_ A disembodied female voice stated. Arcee sighed with relief as her feet were free and other arm. She winced as she rubbed her wrist and then her ankles, the burst tire rubber hanging from her legs.

"God Cee, what did they do to you?" He emotionally stammered.

"Hey, I'll be fine" she lifted his chin. "I can't believe you came for me" she said.

"I'd never stop looking" he smiled at her touch. She was safe, that's all that mattered, and Sector Seven was done, with the base coming apart and Decepticons attacking.

"Thank you Jack"

"Cee, there's something I need to tell you, and if I don't do it now then I may not get another-"

_Warning N.B.E incursion at dam! _The female voice interrupted.

"Jack, did you find her? Is she safe?" Jazz asked on the comm.

"Yeah Jazz, I got her, she's beat up, but if I know Cee, she'll fight either way. Jazz...Simmons is dead"

Silence filled the comm for a moment.

"Understood" He said, turning back to his firefight.

"Let's get you out of her Cee"

"Jack, what were you going to tell me?" He sighed, shaking his head.

"It can wait. Let's just get out of here" He said against his better judgement. She got up with a smile. He helped her up and she immediately dropped to her knees, planting a kiss on his lips. Jack's eyes closed as he simply enjoyed the long passionate kiss. She pulled away gently, inches from him, both panting slightly.

"Now we can go" She smirked. Jack nodded. He raised his wrist, only to see the blaster and armor in pieces on the floor.

"Ratchet is going to kick the scrap out of me" He walked over to the stunned guard and grabbed the pistol from his hand.

"No way am I stunning those Decepti-Sapien freaks" He snarled, cocking it back, only knowing what to do from films and games.

She activated her blasters and limped down the hall, with Jack in toe, leaving his destroyed armor behind.

They rejoined the main chamber, Megatron still stood tall and inactive. Frenzy stood next to the Dark Energon shard. He peered down at the Autobots as they fought the Decepti-Sapiens. Jazz smiled to Arcee with a nod. Bumblebee did the same, a little too busy with the human cons.

"We need to get up top! We can use the cargo lift!" Jack shouted, jogging behind the generators to the lift controls. Suddenly energy scorched the walls near his head as Decepti-Sapiens spotted him.

"Don't let those bots out!" they shouted to one another. Jack thumped his fist against the controls.

"Lift's coming down!" He shouted running to cover. Arcee aimed her blaster, firing at one Sapien, knocking him back and across the floor, dead.

"If we don't kill them, they'll just keep helping the cons. They are cons for all I care" she snarled, and she was right. They would go on to do more crimes or worse. They must be stopped for betraying humanity.

Suddenly Jacks armor on the floor buzzed.

_Reserve power of 15% activated. _

The armor lifted off, flying down the hall. It raced over the bot's heads.

"Jack incoming!" Jazz shouted. He looked round the corner taking the chest piece to his torso. It slammed against him, sending a rib cracking sensation through his body, though no actual injury occurred. The rest of the armor latched to him, closing up around him, scorched blaster holes, scuffs and dents covering the damaged power failing armor.

"Ratchet must have hooked up a back up battery. Gotta love the Doc" Jazz grinned. Arcee smiled as she looked at how her friends and family had come for her. She had people that truly cared for her. And for the first time she was being pulled from a hostage situation without losing her partner.

_No, as humans say don't Jinx it Arcee. Let's get out of here first_

She shook her head and watched Bumblebee aim, firing and collaterally hitting one Sapien, dropping dead to the floor. It hurt them to have to kill humans, but they had no choice.

Suddenly a voice shouted, stopping the firefight on both sides.

"For our Lord Megatron!" frenzy laughed as he stood at the crane controls. He shunned the crane along, whizzing it at Megatron on the ceiling track. The cable was holding the dark Energon shard.

"No! Shoot the cable!" Bumblebee shouted, firing but missing the thin cable.

It was at that moment the shard was released, and dropped inside the open chest cavity of Megatron.

A purple glow erupted inside of him and he began violently shaking and trembling, his fingers tightening into fists. The hole where Bumblebee had stabbed him with the star sabre simple healed with the purple energy and his metal rusted skin became shiny and silver again. The Decepticon logo on his chest illuminated bright. His mouth opened and a roar sounded in pain. Megatron's feet slid on the ground and the shackles around them shattered like glass. His huge arms broke free of the tight shackles as well. He staggered forward, his head in his hands as pain overcame him. The exit wound on his back healed and all the scuff and dents fixed and reformed. His sharp shark like teeth grimaced from inside his smooth gladiator helmet-like head.

"RRRRRRAAAAAARRRHHH!" Megatron roared, arms spread out wide. The energy pulsated from him and all the power in the chamber exploded. The Autobots back away as Megatron stood up from his hunched stature. His silver and purple deco was undeniable and terrifying.

"The lift is here! Come on!" Jack shouted, firing his reacquired blaster at the Decepti-Sapiens. They were too concerned with watching their god being revived. They dropped to their knees.

"Lord Megatron" They all hummed. The gigantic Decepticon leader stood tall, sniffing air in through unseen nostrils. His eyes closed he ran his sharp fingers along his smooth scalp. A long exhale sounded as his hands lowered and his eye burst wide open, red aura glowing in pure terror.

"Decepticons, your rightful lord and master, has been Revived" he smirked with sharp teeth and thin white ring iris's on bright red scleras. The Decepticon leader leaped into the air, transforming into his Cybertronian jet mode and blasting down a dark tunnel, the only light illuminating from his thrusters.

The lift closed and the Autobots fled upwards to the surface. Jack breathed heavily.

"He's back...oh god he's back"

"We need to get out of here, and quick. Oh scrap Bulk!" Bumblebee shouted in shock.

...

Meanwhile on the surface, Blackout pressed down on Bulkhead's hand, holding onto the edge of the dam.

"So puny and weak!" Blackout roared. Bulkhead dug his toes against the dam and pushed upwards, cracking his free fist against Blackout's jaw, sending him staggering back. Bulkhead climbed to his feet and readied his fists.

"You will pay for-"

Suddenly a loud roar of alien jet sounded and the silver hide of Megatron erupted form the dam tunnel. Blackout looked back to see Bulkhead in vehicle mode, taking his chance ad fleeing, for the good of the mission.

Blackout watched as Starscream flew after Megatron.

"So Megatron's back huh? Oh this should be interesting" Blackout smirked, back flipping into the pave low form and flying after Megatron. At the bottom of the dam, Megatron flew upwards, transforming midair and dropping almost fifty foot, slamming to the ground with an earth shattering bang. He stood up from his knelt position.

Starscream landed on his feet just a little higher up on a concrete podium. "Lord Megatron, what a treat to see you back and functioning to your original stature-"

"Starscream..."He demonically grumbled. "Where is the bug that extinguished my spark?" Megatron asked.

"Bumblebee? They have retreated to their base my liege. I tried to avenge you!" Starscream informed him, Blackout landing not too far up from the exchange between Decepticons.

"Then you did not try hard enough. Tell me Starscream, what happened with the Omega lock?" Megatron looked up at him. Starscream rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, err. The Autobots..."

"Starscream..." Megatron growled in his sinister voice.

"They took the Omega lock, and resurrected Cybertron four solar cycles ago"

"Then why are they here...hmm, the humans." Megatron talked to himself.

"I did however take control of the nemesis, and have been running a tight ship-ach!" Megatron interrupted him, wrapping his hand around his throat and pulling him down from his podium.

"You've failed me yet again Starscream" Megatron glanced up at Blackout.

"I see you had to recruit the hunters to help you. If that is the sign of a true leader, then you should rule" Megatron chuckled. Starscream nervously stammered.

"Master please! Allow me to prove my worth!"

"You have no worth! You failed to kill the Autobots when they resurrected Cybertron, and allowed them to destroy the Omega lock, only to get the Nemesis back, when they were done with it!" Megatron hissed through his teeth.

"Master! Please!"

"Goodbye Starscream"

"Soundwa..." Starscream choked.

"What?" Megatron loosened his grip.

"Soundwave. Shockwave got him back from the shadow zone!"

"Soundwave, my old acquaintance. Well then Starscream, it would appear I have no need for you"

"Wait no! W-w-what about leading the military!"

"Shockwave and I will lead that role, until further notice" He said. "Perhaps these hunters may be of use to me" He peered up at Blackout.

"Yes Lord Megatron" Blackout turned and headed back up to the top of the dam. "For now"

"So, you're going to kill me?" Starscream whimpered.

"No. Simply exile you, so you can learn from your mistakes"

"Again!?"

"Yes, but this time, you will return when you have something of worth to me. If you return earlier, then you will find yourself mounted in Knockout's chambers!" Megatron shouted, throwing Starscream into the air. He transformed, flying off. Megatron stood staring at the Decepticon fleeing.

"Mark my words Megatron, I already have the perfect plan to overthrow you and once more become Emperor of destruction!" He cackled as he flew away with a sonic boom. "Uranium is quite a weapon! Hahahaha!"


	15. Chapter 15: Endgame

Jazz and Bumblebee met with Bulkhead, a ground bridge now being possible with the generators down. The bridge opened and they walked through. Arcee and Jack walked just behind.

"Thank you Jack. For saving me"

"Anytime Cee"

"No, I mean it. Jack...no one has ever cared about me like you have...I...I, I lo-"

Suddenly Blackout clambered up the dam, standing and staring at Arcee and Jack, them staring back. He did a double take before he realized it was her.

"What a treat" he hissed, walking towards her, extending his blade. Arcee looked at the ground bridge, now too far to run too.

"Jack go!" She cried, but Blackout was faster, slamming the weak Autobot aside and lifting Jack off the ground. Arcee stood up blasters raised and staring at Blackouts right arm cannon, staring back. In his left hand was Jack.

"What is it about these humans you find so compelling to protect?" Jack struggled in Blackout huge three appendage grip.

"Put him down! Now!" Arcee cried out. Blackout tightened his grip and Jack groaned out in agony.

"No!" she cried with a tremble. Blackout looked at her with a raised eyebrow then at Jack. He saw the way they were staring at one another. It wasn't fear for a friend or partner. It was fear for a loved one. His eyes widened.

"Oh...love? I don't believe it! Love! Ha-ha-ha-ha!" Arcee lowered her eyes. Blackout had figured out their bond.

"So you managed to tie down the great Arcee? Ha, fair play human" Blackout said to the tiny insect.

"Piece of scrap, you know nothing of love" Jack groaned.

"Oh but I do. Not the way you two so obviously feel, but I loved for a brother...a brother she snuffed" He hissed.

"I know, Grindor, and I'm sorry she had to do that"

"How could you possibly be sorry? She took him from me! But now I have a chance, a golden opportunity...to make her feel not only the same way as I did, but worse. You"

"Please, punish me Blackout, but leave Jack out of this. Please punish me"

"I am about to" He looked at Jack "Goodbye...Jackson Darby" He threw Jack off of the dam. His hand released and as if in slow motion, Jack plummeted, disappearing from Arcee's view. Despair filled her optics as she dropped to her knees. Jack was gone; this was no Nightmare, not one she could wake from. The only person she'd ever let close to her was gone.

Blackout looked back at the distraught, destroyed Arcee. "Finally, feel what I felt"

"Did you feel this Blackout?" she trembled, fists tightening. "Did you feel like you had nothing left to lose" Blackout raised an eyebrow.

"Because there is nothing more dangerous...than someone, who has nothing left...TO LOSE!" She roared, lunging at the caught off guard Blackout she slashed at him and he slashed back.

"That's more like it!" He laughed. She leaped up onto his chest, slamming her wrist blades against his head, slicing the head apart. He groaned throwing her off. She immediately lunged back, blasting a blue bolt as his thin knee. He dropped to it and she lunged at him, slamming her knee against his head, jerking it back. He staggered and she repeatedly slashed and punched at him, so angry at how he'd taken Jack from her.

"Enough!" He roared, getting up and holding her over the edge. He tightened his grip around her throat. He wiped the flowing Energon from his forehead.

"You can join him if you like!"

"Do it" She sighed leaning her head back and closing her eyes, accepting death.

"It ends...goodbye Arcee" he lifted his wrist blade high in the air.

Suddenly a blue blast hit his wrist and it exploded, metal and wires erupting from the wrist severing blast. Blackout groaned as he staggered back, clutching his decapitated arm. Arcee landed, just near the edge of the dam, legs dangling off. She dared not look down to see Jack's remains.

Blackout groaned, clutching his destroyed arm and staring at the owner of the blast. Stood before the green vortex, was Optimus, faceplate engaged and blaster still aimed up at Blackout. The hunter knew he was outnumbered.

"We'll...meet again"

"Not this time" Arcee hissed, getting up, jumping on his knee and reaching into his abdomen, ripping out his T-cog, disabling his ability to transform. He roared, punching down on her.

"Out of the way Arcee!" Optimus tried to get a clear shot but couldn't as Blackout staggered back and forth, punching the blue femme in her torso. He slammed her to the ground with his one arm, his chest opened, forming his cannon.

"For Grindor!"

"Time you joined him you piece of scrap! Tell him how you failed him!" She roared, aiming at his knees and firing. She quickly grabbed his one arm, pressed both her tired feet on his chest and pushed, hauling him over her head, throwing him off the dam.

The huge hunter fell while roaring "NNNNOOOO!" His ability to transform gone, he plummeted, landing on an erect, sharp radio mast. The sharp metal tore straight through his chest and he lay there on his back with a titanic thud as the metal mast annihilated his spark. His hand grasped the mast, only to slowly release and drop the palm to the ground. His head leaned back against the floor and his eyes glimmered to a dull red before being extinguished forever. Blackout was dead...the last of the brothers.

Arcee sighed and leaned her head back in relief. Blackout was finally dead, many centuries later. She placed her palms over her eyes and cried as Jack was gone. Optimus walked over, kneeling to her.

"Arcee...come here" He comforted, welcoming her into a hug. She wept heavily into his shoulder. He glared up at Barricade, a flying Megatron and Skywarp disappearing into the distance.

Barricade stood, weapons primed on the other side of the dam, his eyes wide at the sight of Blackout's demise.

"I'm not dying today. Come on Frenzy" He transformed, Frenzy hopping into the passenger seat. The mustang spun around, wheels spinning and raced off.

Optimus sighed and shook his head at the loss of Jack. Arcee was bawling like never before. Her hands pressed against Optimus's chest and she beat her fist against him softly.

"Damn i-iiiiit!" she cried out. Optimus placed his palm on the back of her head.

"He was...a g-g-good man" Optimus struggled to say with an emotional stammer in his voice.

"He was! Oh Primus he wa-a-aaas!" She cried heavier. Optimus pinch his closed eyes with his fingers. Even he was struggling to come to terms with this tragedy.


	16. Chapter 16: Epilogue

Optimus held Arcee close as she heaved and cried into him. He looked down, a stray Energon tear welling under his eye. He used his large finger and sliced it away.

"Jaaa-aaack!" Arcee bawled heaving tears. She felt sick, physically and mental. Optimus knew that it was too late, and that staying here would only draw attention to the two huge bots crying on one another.

"Arcee...we-w-we need to go" Optimus struggled, even his powerful voice failing as it quaked and trembled from under his face plate. Arcee shook her head.

"No! I can't-uh-leave -uh- hii-i-iim!" she stammered through torrents of Energon tears. What would they tell June? How they failed to save her son? What would they tell the others, tell Rafael and Miko? But all the questions faded when Optimus saw the state of Arcee, bellowing tears into his chest. How would she cope? Would the thin line devour her?

As they both shed emotions, not ready to go through the bridge. The sounds of scuffling came from behind on the battle damaged dam. Exhausted heaving sounded, Optimus raising his head from Arcee's shoulder. He opened his glassy eyes and heard a man groaning and heaving. A hand reached up over the side of the dam, followed by another as they worked in unison to haul him up. A black haired head heaved and winced before resting on the side of the dam, flicking his legs up and swiping them over the side, rolling away from the ledge onto the dam road. Heavy, slow panting sounded from the body.

"J-Jack?" Optimus asked. Arcee's head lifted up drenched in Energon tears. She sniffled and panted.

"W-w-what?" She asked with a sniffle. The man sat up on his knees.

"Those thruster boots...yeah, they don't work so well on 15%...might wanna tell Ratchet that" Jack joked, falling forward with exhaustion.

"Jack!" Arcee screamed with joy and sniffles, running over and scooping him up in a giant hug. Optimus stayed crouching, wrist resting across his knee. His faceplate split apart revealing a relieved smile. He peered over the ledge. The massive body of Blackout was still there, lifeless. He was dead...it was over, for now. Optimus's smile faded. While it was a win for Jack and Arcee, it was a loss for Optimus...Megatron was back. But that could wait.

Meanwhile as Optimus glanced off of the dam, Jack hugged Arcee as tight as he could, possibly denting her polymer skin. She hugged just as hard.

"I love you" Jack whispered through trembling tears to Arcee. "I never took the chance to say it, but damn it I'm saying now. I love you Arcee"

"I love you too Jack. I love you so much. Primus don't you e-every do that to me again" She chuckled, along with him as they hugged, tears flowing between them.

"Deal" he whispered as they pressed lips, passion flowing between them. They forgot exactly where they were; only focusing on each other. They parted lips gently, panting quietly, inches from each others faces. They both opened eyes, Cybertronian to human, so different yet so similar, both in love with one another. They pulled their heads back and looked down at the carcass of Blackout. He was dead.

"we won" Jack smiled.

"No...We didn't" Arcee sighed.

"What?"

"Jack, he only became the monster he was because of how I killed his brother. He became the slaughtering hunter he was...because of me. we shaped out own futures, and he almost destroyed mine. I had to destroy his. And I think he knew he wasn't leaving this dam alive...he wanted so much to avenge his fallen brother, but now I know. Revenge for the fallen, is a slippery slope to evil. One he slid down" Arcee explained to him.

Loud footsteps sounded as Optimus walked over to them.

"Arcee is correct Jack. He was once the brightest, bravest Autobot I ever knew, but he chose the Decepticons with his brother. Then...his brother was killed due to his violent nature and inexperience. It was at that moment that Blackout was formed. He blacked out the world around him, only focusing on retribution. And now, he lies dead" Optimus and Jack looked down at the poor dead warrior. Blackout was a victim of revenge. It consumed him, and caused his untimely end, here.

"We should probably get back to base you two" He broke the moment.

"Hmm? Yeah course. Come on let's get off this dam" The dead body of Blackout lay there, still as they come. It was also a freedom than a revenge for Arcee, because now Grindor and Blackout could be reunited in the Allspark. Because if there was one thing she could learn from Blackout, it's that retribution over the loss of a partner or a loved one, or even a brother...is a thin line between good and evil.

...

Fowler paced through the base on the phone.

"Son, I don't care how many helicopters it takes, we've got a three hour window before Hoover dam opens for the day, so get that Decepticon body cleaned up and moved!" he shut the phone and sighed, fingers through his hair.

"You Autobots always say about disguise and hiding and stealth, but you always managed to kill the big cons in the touristy of places!"

"Agent Fowler. We apologize for the disturbance, but I believe your government owes us an apology, more to the point...Arcee an apology"

Fowler gulped. "Well, you'll be happy to know that with the escape of Megatron, and the failure at the dam, plus Simmons attempt on Jack's life...Sector Seven has been shut down indefinitely"

"Good. See to it that they stay shut down Agent fowler" Optimus nodded. The man turned and nodded, heading to the hanger doors.

"And we are sorry Arcee, for all they put you through"

"Eh, could have been worse" She shrugged, looking pristine again.

"That's our Cee" Bumblebee shoved her shoulder and Jazz slapped her back, like boyish big brothers.

She shrugged them off and chuckled. Ratchet pats her shoulder gently.

"Welcome home Arcee" the Doctor said.

"Thank you"

"Don't thank me..." He stepped aside to reveal Jack, sat on a box, holding his armor faceplate, ripped and torn. He stroked his thumb over it, clearing some of the soot off of it. He dropped in on the pile of broken armor pieces. "...Thank him. He wouldn't give up on you" Ratchet smiled.

"Oh well. Fun while it lasted" Jack moaned.

"I'll get it working in due time Jack" Ratchet mumbled as he walked by, crouching down, examining the armor pile. Jack looked up as Fowler left, along with Optimus, taking him back to the military base. The red truck drove out of the Hanger.

Raf and Miko sat aloft the tower in the center, on the sofa overlooking the television screen.

"No, I would totally win against you!" Miko shouted at Raf.

"Would not!" He shouted back, fighting over the controller. Jack chuckled gently under his breath as Ratchet took the pile of armor to his work station.

"Four years later, and you're the only one who grew up" Ratchet groaned.

"Ah...Raf's a smart kid"

"That he is"

Jazz and Bumblebee leaned against the podium talking with Miko and Raf. Bulkhead leaned against the far wall talking with Ironhide, nodding and chuckling in the inaudible conversation. Jack rubbed his face with his palms, trying to understand what just happened at the dam.

Arcee sat beside him on the bigger crate.

"Cee, what just happened? Less than three hours ago, I was fighting...me, fighting! Then hanging off a dam and watching you kill Blackout"

"Well-" She shrugged.

"Whoa, wait. Arcee killed that big evil helicopter guy! Ah I wanted to see that! How'd she do it, did she cut his ugly face off?" Miko shouted from the podium above, Bumblebee and Jazz shaking heads.

"He wasn't evil. He was lost. And now he's dead" Arcee sighed.

"Boring, did you beat him with his own arm?" Miko didn't understand what they were talking about.

Arcee snarled her lips and teeth. "How'd she hear us? We were speaking quietly?"

"It's Miko Cee...she hears everything" they both chuckled.

"I heard that!" Miko shouted, proving their point.

"Let's...go for a drive. I could do with clearing my head" Arcee said, climbing to her feet and transforming, finally having newly inflated, pristine tires on her rims.

"Looking good Cee" He said as he clambered on, putting his helmet on, a spare he bought to have at base.

"You got one for here too?"

"I owe mom that much" He said as they raced out of the base. The wind battered against her polymer skin as she raced along the desert road, the beautiful sun slipping below the skyline. Another day done, another Decepticon threat.

...

Fifteen minutes of silent, yet comfortable driving past and Jack looked down at the blue bike beneath him.

"Hey Cee?" He asked her as they raced down the empty road, veering off and up the dusty track to their Stargazing spot.

"Yeah Jack?"

He smiled. "Nothing, just wanted to hear your voice. You really are back" he said, trying to figure out if he'd been dreaming about the Autobots return after four years. But it was real, and they truly were back, and he was deeply in love with his Guardian, as she with him. Life was good.

"And I'm never leaving again. You're stuck with me Jackson Darby" She said with a hidden smirk.

"I can live with that" He smiled as they came to a stop. Once again it was quiet, nobody to disturb them, the trees high around them and their secluded area. He got off, removing his helmet and getting his phone out. Just as she began to transform he stopped her.

"Wait! Stay like that" He smiled. She clicked back into the motorcycle form.

"Like this?"

"Good" He snapped the photo. "Okay, now you can transform"

She sat up curves of her body reflecting in the amber rays. She stretched from the long drive.

"Like this" she asked with a gorgeous raised eyebrow.

"Perfect" He smiled, snapping the photo.

"If I see those on the Internet, you're dead" She smirked, then dropped the smile "Not dead, but...Primus Jack. You scared me so much at the dam"

"I'm sorry Cee. I hung on for dear life, for you. Honesty if I didn't have you, I'd not have survived that fall. Lucky those jet boots had enough juice left" He nervously chuckled.

"Then you killed Blackout" he added.

"He got reckless, desperate. Revenge clouded him too much. Hopefully he can rest now" Arcee sighed. Jack took her hand and began walking to the edge of the cliff in the tree parting, overlooking the desert.

"What are you..."

"Come on, follow me" He said, leading her to the edge. She stopped at the edge, looking out over the vast Nevada desert, the orange setting sun warming her face.

She felt a palm warm the back of her hand. She looked down and saw Jack, turning her hand over and used it to scoop up some orange dust. She closed her palm around the dust and lifted it.

"What are you doing Jack?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. He did the same, clutching the dust.

"This is for Blackout. A goodbye, to a lost soul, trapped in his own mind, his own lust for tainted revenge. And hopefully, he'll join with the Allspark, and he won't be like this dust..."

"What do you mean?" she asked. Jack smiled, his palm opening, releasing the dust as the wind carried it off over the distant desert.

"Scattered to the winds" He smiled to her. She chuckled gently. He pat her thigh and got up.

"Wait, what's my one for?" She asked, still holding hers.

"Grindor. Consider it closure on their story. Put the brothers to sleep" He smiled. She was amazed by his grown up attitude. But he was a grown up, not an awkward teen. She had to remember that, all the Autobots did, like he told her: A lot can happen in four years.

"Goodbye Grindor, forgive me for having to take your spark so early. Rest in the Allspark, and meet your arriving brother" she let go of the dust as the dusk wind carried it off over the desert, intertwining with Jack's cloud. Blackout and Grindor reunited in dust as they flew off. Arcee smiled to herself, getting up and turning to Jack. He was sat around a small stack of sticks. He rubbed his flint as small sparks spat into the dry wood and grass.

"Do you take that everywhere with you?" She chuckled gently as she sat down, hugging her long slender knees to her chest.

"Better to have it and not need it" He said as the sparks started to glow amber in the wood. He gently cradled the grass and sticks, blowing ever so gently on it. Soon the fire started with his careful tending. "...Than to need it, and not have it" He smiled to her, setting the kindling fire back in the sticks.

Arcee looked at him, deep blue eyes glowing.

"Thank you Jack, for that back there"

"What?"

"The closure, saying my apologies and goodbyes to two lost souls; at least I can rest easy knowing that he's at peace. I hope they are" She sighed.

"Decepticons or not, we all make mistakes. Grindor's caught up with him, and Blackout's was taking revenge over closure.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked him sternly.

"Arcee. I love you, but it's time to let go...of Cliff and Tailgate"

"What?" She asked.

"Don't you see? Blackout is the possible outcome of you! If you keep trying to kill Starscream or Airachnid, you might make a mistake like he did, and get desperate, clouded...I can't lose you" He trembled. She rested her head on her knees and smiled gently and comfortingly to him as the sun began to set, only the fire in front of them lighting up their expressions.

"Jack...I...I can't. I can't let go"

"You can. I know you can" He scrunched up some dirt in his hands. "You just have to give them the perfect send off" He let go as the wind carried the dust off over the desert again. She knew he was right. She had to let go of them sooner or later, and now she had someone to truly focus her emotions on. Jack. It was time to say goodbye to her partners. She got up from the floor, hugging her arms as she walked over to the edge, overlooking the desert. She sighed and lowered her eyes. Maybe if she could give them the perfect goodbye, her nightmares of them may end. She had to try.

Arcee leaned down, cupping some dirt and standing back up, looking over the star lit desert.

"Tailgate...I'm so sorry. So sorry I couldn't save you, I couldn't save my partner" She hugged the dirt close to her as she closed her eyes. "But it's time to say goodbye, time to move on. Goodbye my old friend. Find piece in the embrace of the Allspark" She finished, blowing into her cupped palms and finally opening them, the dust flying off over the night time desert sky, the dark blue quilt with freckles of stars rotating over them. She sighed, feeling a weight vanish from her shoulders.

Jack was there for her, watching from the fire, but gave her the space and time required to say goodbye to her old partners.

She cupped some more dirt and brought it up.

"Cliff. I use to hate this planet, hell I'd tell you all the time" She chuckled to herself. "Oh if you could see me now, in love with a human. The irony and jokes you'd point out"

Jack smiled as he tended the fire.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is...I'm sorry. So sorry I couldn't save you, couldn't save you from Megatron and his monstrous experiments on you. But it's time to let you go, not just for me, but for you old friend. I'll miss you. But like you told me...maybe I should give Earth a chance. Well Cliff, maybe...maybe he's the one for me. Maybe I can stop fighting and be happy. Maybe...I just need to let go. Closure" She blew into her palms again and reached out, opening them as the dust carried off.

The wind raced past her and the trees. "Goodbye Cee...Thank you" She could have sworn she heard the wind whisper as it raced by carrying the dust. The dust vanished off over the desert, and she sighed with relief, stood tall and proud as she looked across the night time desert.

"Feel better?" Jack asked. She nodded as she knelt down beside him.

"Yeah...yeah! I really do. Thank you Jack, I love you" She said as she hugged him tight.

"whenever you need me" He smiled, hugging her back.

_You see, Optimus was right, about everything. There truly is a thin line between right and wrong, good and evil...Autobot and Decepticon, and stepping over it can twist you into a monster, a monster you can't see or defeat. A monster that will consume you, control you. Make you only want revenge, not see that moving on is the painful cure. Blackout consumed himself in retribution, and died trying, not seeing the errors of his attempt of thoughtful ways. But now? Now the line has thickened. And Arcee is no longer on the tilt of falling to the other side. She's at peace with her partners now...and she can start to move on, step back further onto the side of good, the side of peace and happiness. The thin line...had to thicken. _

Jack and Arcee hugged by the fire as four stars twinkled bright in the sky, stars at peace. Stars that can rest now: Grindor, Blackout, Cliffjumper and Tailgate. Now that everyone has let go, and moved on. They can move on to the Allspark...till all are one...

* * *

Author's notes: Well, that was The thin line, the second episode in my ongoing series of Arcee and Jack romances. Oh, and don't worry, I'll be writing the next episode very soon, and it will be one to remember. I hope you enjoyed The thin line, and how I sent Blackout off...He was never a villian. He was trapped in his own anger...his own retribution. Love you guys! and take care till the next episode! - David


End file.
